Darker
by Shawn30
Summary: Ward began working undercover with S.H.I.E.L.D again seven months ago after brokering a 'desperate deal'. Daisy is finally seeking answers, and at last accepting the dark emotion that still lives between them. All while navigating the perilous waters of a maddening case in Russia. SkyeWard
1. Chapter 1

**Title: "Darker"**  
 **(1/3)**  
 **Written by: Shawn30**

 **Summary: Ward began working undercover with S.H.I.E.L.D again seven months ago after brokering a 'desperate deal'. Daisy is finally seeking answers, and at last accepting the dark emotion that still lives between them. All while navigating the perilous waters of a maddening case in Russia.**

 **Spoilers: Up to and including Season 3-ep7 "Agents of Shield." AU after that. Story picks up Fall of 2016.**

 **Category: Angsty Romance - Erotica - Drama - Violence - Action Rating: MA Ship: SkyeWard Authors Notes: Angry, jealous, raw, complicated, risque, desperately provocative smut. Enjoy :)**

 **In order to heal, you have to first be broken. ~ Renee Dyer "Eyes Wide Open"**

* * *

 **"Matryoshka Manor"**  
 **30,000 square foot, eleven bedroom mansion sitting on nine acres of wooded land.**  
 **Owned by billionaire Vladimir Volkoff.**  
 **5th floor suite Friday, October 3rd, 2016 - 11:20 PM Moscow region, Odintsovo area, Gorki-2**

Quietly locking them in, Daisy paused at the elegantly decorated doorway. Her nerves were dancing on a razors edge as she swallowed hard in the back of her throat. Thunder boomed in the distance. Her heartbeat was racing a mile a minute, as it had all throughout the seemingly never-ending welcoming dinner party. Never mind the impeccable poker-face she wore as perfectly as the tight red-wine colored dress clinging to her slender frame.

Reaching inside her small black purse, the leader of the Secret Warriors double-clicked her key-chain, activating a mobile signal scrambler in case any listening devices were present. A faint shiver crawled over her when she felt Ward's dangerous presence erase the distance between them from behind. The air around her was tinged with the dark woods scent of his cologne, tempting her. He'd invaded her personal space again, as he had all evening, forcing the issue between them head-on.

To a degree Daisy appreciated that. She had zero patience for small-talk these days. She demanded answers and she was going to get them or he was going to need medical attention A.S.A.P.

That they were working together again on a mission after all this time was absolutely shocking enough. Second thoughts and third thoughts and fourth thoughts roared through her mind as she slowly turned around to face him. To face the darkness of their private suite and all that had ever been between them. She tossed her purse on a nearby nightstand, followed by her keys. Her gaze met his head on as her voice ebbed low and deadly. "Start talking. Now!"

Heavy droplets of rain pelted the nearby windows as Ward sighed, head bowed, and then took a step back just to collect his thoughts. They hadn't said much outside of mission briefing on the long flight to Russia this morning, and had been 'in character' all day and tonight during dinner with Vladimir and his inner circle. But all false pretenses died as he now had to face her. She was owed this and so much more than he feared he could ever repay her. But here and now, he would try. "Where would you like me to begin?"

With heavy rainfall falling in heavy sheets against the roof, Daisy's words hit like a fist. "How in the fucking hell did you convince Coulson and Nick Fury to let you back in S.H.I.E.L.D with full Level 7 clearance after every damn evil thing you've done?"

Ward's jaw tightened at her coldness, though he knew it was well deserved. She glared at him like a rattlesnake coiled to strike. He'd expected no less, despite her A+ acting the last forty-eight hours to the contrary. Her unwavering, righteous anger deserved the truth more than anyone else. "To sum it all up, I gave them Hydra on a silver platter and a way to get rid of me anywhere in the world at anytime." A sudden flash of lightening ignited their tense mood as they faced off. "I made them a deal they couldn't refuse."

"Bullshit!" Daisy snarled as she circled him. Fuck how good he looked in that tailor-made black tux, they weren't pretending here. At least not yet, she swallowed ominously. "You betrayed your whole team and everything the organization stood for. You nearly killed your friends and tortured Bobbi. You killed innocent people and then kept right on killing as the head of Hydra. How in the world could you convince them to let you back in? It makes no sense at all to me."

"I gave them something they knew I would never betray."

Her eyes narrowed. "And what was that?"

"My daughter."

The foreboding storm clouds of her eyes matched the relentless downpour outside. She was frozen with emotion, unblinking. All the air in her lungs fled in a rush. She simply could not fathom what she just heard. "Tell me everything."

To the point, as was her way these days. They would need to work together until this mission, suicidal as it was to begin with, was over. To that end she would need to know exactly who and what she was dealing with. Deep down he was viciously sick of keeping her in the dark. Sick all of the ruin he'd committed by his own hands. Giving a damn was hard work, and he was still coming to grips with it. "Several years ago I was working a deep-cover ops case in Washington."

"For S.H.I.E.L.D or Hydra?"

Ward rubbed at his eyes in a tired way. "Does it really matter?"

"Yes."

Her arms crossed her chest as she waited. "Both, in a sense," he replied, walking over to the suite's private bar to pour himself a drink. Vodka seemed most appropriate given the country they were in. And his nerves, now that he felt things again, craved the liquid courage to set the record straight with her. "I needed to get close to the CEO of a high-tech research company, so I seduced his secretary." He gave a small shrug, then continued, "It was par for the course, nothing really special at the time. And once the mission was done I disappeared and never looked back." He shook his head, the whole thing unimaginable now. "It was only one time and we used protection, but she got pregnant and gave birth to Mila, my daughter."

Daisy's stomach tightened until she could barely breathe. Ward was a father echoed in her mind, even as the thought was unfathomable to her. "How long have you known?"

"Eight months," he explained to her in a drained tone of voice, resigned to his fate. That cool bravado of his was ever present, but he knew better than to play games with her. "Hydra knew all along about her. They kept tabs on her and her mother. A fail-safe to use against me if I ever betrayed them."

"Yeah, so nice of you to save all your fucking betrayal for us." And then in a very low voice, "For me."

As the wind whispered against the windows her words left her lips like poison. He didn't visibly recoil, but the sentiment hit its mark. So much had passed between them, and then the huge gap of time where they had no contact at all. And yet still she felt something for him, even if it was hate. It was better than nothing at all. "When I took over Hydra I began looking into everything they knew about everyone. It was then I found out about Mila and that she had Acute myelogeneous leukemia."

Daisy's eyes softened, but she said nothing. She just listened.

"My daughter was very ill and needed a bone marrow transplant. Hydra already knew I was a match. They'd already tested me secretly." He half-laughed at the insanity of it all. The unmistakable cruelty. "They were always prepared to use that knowledge against me if they had too. They weren't sure I would care, but it was still an option."

Daisy's gaze remained fixated on him, as if willing the truth to come forth. "Go on."

"Would you like a drink?"

Thunder throttled the sky in the distance. "Yes."

Well, she hadn't shot him yet or cracked all his bones with her powers. It was a start at the very least. He made her a Screwdriver and handed it over. "I don't think I would have ever turned off the ugly path I was on had it not been for Mila," he explained as they drank in the dark. "My life is what I have made of it. A spectacular disaster of horrific choices. I own each and every one. I pulled every trigger and destroyed every friendship." He paused, gazing at her. "I lost you."

Her eyes were unreadable. She moved in a circle around him around him, trying to decipher fact from fiction. Ward continued, "My parents visited horrors on my brothers and I. Our upbringing created the atmosphere to grow into the monsters we became. But when I learned that I had a daughter it was like something in my brain snapped. That there was a part of me out there in the world untouched by the evils of my family. By all the wrongs I've done."

What Daisy felt for him was scattered and broken, yet the fragments remained. The faint memories of what might of been had it all not been a lie. She just couldn't trust the note of sincerity she heard in his voice. What was worse, she wasn't sure she could trust herself. "So you double and triple checked out everything, right?"

"To the letter," he nodded. The burn of the alcohol soothed him. "I confirmed it all myself, and then realized what I had to do. I had to protect her. I had to help her. To give some meaning to my existence," he spoke straight-forward. "It was the most terrifying realization of my entire life. It just wasn't about me anymore. No more blaming S.H.I.E.L.D or Garret or Hydra or anyone else. It was all on me to make sure she never went down the dark road I've been on all my life. Make sure self-loathing didn't dominate every choice she made. At the end of the day I never wanted her to hate herself the way I do. That thought burned me alive for weeks until I made my decision."

"So you had a Darth Vader watching his son be electrocuted by the Emperor moment, right?"

There was a ghost of a smile tugging at her mouth. God how he'd missed that. "You are such a geek," he snickered, almost eliciting a smile again. Almost. "Something in me shattered... or awakened, I'm not sure. But I knew that to save her I had to destroy Hydra. She would forever be a target to use against me, so I sent a secret communication to Coulson via snail mail as I didn't trust anything else."

Daisy blinked. "Seriously?"

"I'm that paranoid, Skye."

"Daisy," she corrected him, leaving no room for debate.

He still liked 'Skye' far better, but let it go. "We met in Mexico in late January and I confessed everything. I gave him records. Computer files. Names. Encryption keys. Data storage. He held me captive for two days while he confirmed everything, and then we came up with a plan. But he had one iron-clad condition."

"And that was?"

"Same time as the surgery to harvest the bone marrow, S.H.I.E.L.D surgeons placed a small device near my heart. For tracking and a remote way to kill me if I ever betrayed S.H.E.I.L.D again."

That was cold-blooded, even for Coulson. But Ward was guilty of so much. She needed to do some digging to get the specifics, but Coulson had told her many times since Ward's shocking return that they could easily end him if need be. "Hydra isn't gone though."

Ward gave a half-grin, and then poured her and himself another drink. "I gave Coulson nineteen key Hydra head targets and killed half of them myself. I handed him the entire infrastructure of Hydra. I gave him access to monitor and augment Hydra financial accounts totaling over a hundred billion dollars. Lists of dozens of Hydra sympathizers throughout various governments worldwide. Every secret vault, every hideout, all their research, just everything," he explained, almost looking pleased. "See, we didn't destroy Hydra in a traditional sense. We now have eyes and ears everywhere without those who are left even being aware."

When it dawned on Daisy she felt her blood boil. "S.H.I.E.L.D. infiltrated Hydra. Controls them the exact same way they once controlled us."

"Exactly," he replied. "With me, Coulson, Nick Fury and a secret team we have Hydra under complete control. We have the money, the contacts, blackmail information, dummy corporations, operatives, bases of operation, technology, you name it. I gave Coulson everything. In exchange he agreed to make sure Mila received the best of care. And for the rest of my life I would work for S.H.I.E.L.D to repay my debt to my country. I was a more valuable asset out in the field than behind bars or in a coffin. Till my dying day I will be repaying this debt."

The bottom of her glass glared at her with unfinished business. A pleasant buzz warred with her nerves over being so close to Ward again. "Another," she called out. He quickly complied, making a third for himself as well. A flickering stutter of lightening flashed through the windows as the storm outside picked up in intensity. She downed half her glass in one long pull, attempting to bury her conflicted emotions. "So I'm supposed to believe you're one of the good guys again?"

Ward frowned, looking away thoughtfully. "I doubt I'd ever call myself one of the good guys. I'm just a man who is trying to do right by the one person who is owed my very best in this world." He walked toward her and she did not step back. She was so damn beautiful to him it almost hurt to look at her. "I don't have a time machine," he spoke apologetically, hands at his sides. "I can't undo all the pain and suffering I have caused. But I have made my line in the sand and I'll die by it. I'm going to try and be a better man going forward, for Mila."

Daisy seriously thought about shooting him again. And giving him a hug. And breaking every bone in his body with her powers. Yes, she needed and intended to get specific confirmations on every single thing he told her. But Coulson would not have let him back in if it were all a lie. No matter the vehement protests and bad-blood the team voiced over his decision, of which was still ongoing. But to have the means to infiltrate and control Hydra was a a massive worldwide advantage for S.H.I.E.L.D. The lives that have been and will be saved balance out making a deal with Ward. Still, it was a lot to take in. More than she ever imagined. "That's a nice, neat little package you got there."

"I can never be a part of my daughter's life," Ward concluded darkly, his jaw tightening. Swallowing his deepest regret, he continued. "Coulson's last condition. I can't ever know her. I was an anonymous donor. Partly because my presence could put her in danger. Also penance for all my crimes," he downed the last of his glass, enjoying the burn. "Its not a black and white deal, but Mila is alive and doing much better. Any deal I had to make was worth that."

Daisy gave a slow nod, and then finished her third drink, feeling the effects drain a bit of her fury. "So you won't know anything about her?"

Ward gave a tense shake of his head. "I'll get a few photos a year and a vague update, is what I was told. Of course I could find her, but she would be in danger if any of my enemies knew she existed. I have to stay away for her sake, though it kills me more than you will ever know."

Watching him closely, this was all so surreal. His pain and regret over all the devastating choices he'd made. "Do you have a picture?" her words barely audible above the noise of the pouring rain. She watched Ward retrieve his cell phone from inside his jacket, scroll through a couple of screens, and then show her a photo of a little girl with curly dark hair on a swing. She was smiling brightly, but her skin was a bit pale. "She's beautiful, Ward. She has your eyes."

"Thank you," he sighed heavily, recognizing the resemblance and the sorrow that he will never truly know her. Whenever he looked at any one of the five pictures he owned, his heart ached for this little girl. "She was six when it was taken, and just starting to get sick. Her mom never married, so she faced everything alone. And even though I never loved her, I failed her too. But we arranged for her to 'win' two million dollars in a sweepstakes. Financially she'll be able to take care of Mila for the rest of her life. And from what the background reports of her say, she appears to be an amazing mother."

Daisy's brown eyes narrowed with sympathy, but she shook it off cause how could she care for him? He'd caused so much pain and suffering. But he was paying for it now, and would for the rest of his life. Yes, he deserved it, but her heart still... she couldn't quite give voice to what she truly wanted to vent. There was just no place for it. "So is this all real?" she asked in a quiet tone. "We're trying to save nine lives here and I can't be looking over my shoulder waiting for you to deliver the ax blow."

"I'm sure you will make Coulson confirm everything I've said twice. I have no doubt about that, and even though you don't trust me, you do trust him."

He knew her that well, though she wasn't surprised. Gazing at him in the dark, the unpleasant memories dwarfed the good ones where this man was concerned. "So now what?"

"Look, I'm sorry for breaking your trust and your heart," Ward confessed to her face, as serious as he had ever been. "I know you weren't in love with me yet or... I know you had feelings for me, and I was falling in love with you. I knew it. I felt it. I just couldn't see past my loyalty to Garrett. I'd told so many lies and betrayed so many people that I didn't see any way out. I was barreling downhill fast and just went with it. Drowned myself in this misguided obsession for vengeance," he ran a weary hand over his face. "Against my family and against S.H.I.E.L.D. Any and everything thing was against me. I had zero personal accountability."

His chest hitched with emotion as he gazed into her beautiful eyes, trying to make some sense of the insanity of his actions. "I was wrong and I regret my actions now. I can't change them, and I have to live with the consequences. That's all on me. But I am sorry."

"I was falling in love with you," she softly confessed as well, now pouring herself and him a fourth drink as the storm raged outside, flashes of lightening illuminating their suite. Outside the States, her friends, and S.H.I.E.L.D she had no censor for her thoughts as this talk was a long time in the making. "I shot you in the chest all of those times out of pure rage. I just couldn't shoot you in the head even though I hated you. I just couldn't end it."

If he closed his eyes and concentrated he could hear the gun going off even now. "I gave you every reason to hate me."

"And I wish I could have seen your humanity sooner," she practically swore at him. Their eyes locked, the tension between them like a coiled fuse attached to a time bomb. And then her face softened ever so. "For what its worth, I'm sorry about Mila. I hope she recovers fully and has a wonderful life."

"She's doing great so far," he smiled warmly, and then it faded as if he felt he had no right to the emotion. He gave a small nod of acknowledgment. "Thank you."

Unable or unwilling to see him for who she hoped he was after so much hurt and betrayal, Daisy avoided his gaze. And hated the slight tremble of her voice. "Time to talk business."

Understanding her subtle nod to shift gears, Ward took her glass from her out-stretched hand and set it down on the bar. He trailed behind her in step as she begin to tour the massive private suite they would call home for the next ten days. God, how incredible she looked in that tiny wine-red dress. V-neck exposing a hint of delicious cleavage and in high heels she was a fucking wet dream on two gorgeous legs. His cock twitched at the sexy sway of her ass. The confidence and ease of her every step. He tried to ignore the swell of arousal at being so close to her again... and what else tonight may hold as he feared that as much as he secretly craved it with every fiber of his being.

"We have no idea where Vladimir Volkoff has the Inhuman girls. And he won't play his hand until the day of sale," Ward stated, internally hating the thought that anyone could be 'sold' in this day and age. But he knew all to well that the world was far more barbaric than kind. "We need more than his trust. We need a bit of his obsession."

The neo-classical style of the entire massive estate and their private suite was amazing to Daisy. Natural parquet and marble floors throughout screamed limitless luxury. Tailor made Italian leather furniture designed for careless comfort and likely costed more than everything she owned in this world greeted her as she walked with Ward. "He was staring at me throughout dinner," Daisy recalled, and didn't need to see Ward to know he had noticed. "I made sure to save a little shy smile or two for him whenever you looked away."

"Nice touch."

They had a fully-furnished expansive living room with a massive stone fireplace. A fully stocked bar, balcony dining enclosure, and a elaborately decorated bedroom Daisy was sure they could land a Quinjet in. Extravagance was the norm here, with lavish excess dripping from every corner of the room. She stopped at the doorway before turning to face Ward head-on. To his credit he kept his distance an arms length away. But she was sure he could hear her heart pounding. Hands on her slender hips, she stood her ground. "I'm going to ask you this one time and one time only because I need to stay razor sharp and focused on this mission. I want to go full steam ahead if we are going to save those girls lives. So here goes."

Daisy peered into his dark stare in the dim shadows of their bedroom hallway. "Can I trust you?"

She was equal parts furious, determined, and anxious. He had hurt her deeply and everyone she cared about. Had become a monster she fired six shots into, and then walked away. But he had his line in the sand now. And if what might of been was dead, the here and now was still open for debate. "Yes, you can trust me. But coming from me those words are without worth. I know that there's no trust between us. This is a clean slate we're are starting on. But on my daughter's life, you can trust me now. I have your back come what may. I'm dedicated to saving those girls lives and putting Vladimir in a cold grave."

"Why should I believe you?"

Ward couldn't answer that one. "You don't ask the easy questions, do you."

"When you have to place your life in the hands of a man who has betrayed you in every way possible then you can't afford to be subtle."

As if his respect for her already wasn't high enough. Ward gave a slow nod, peering into her lovely eyes. "First off, I promised you that I wouldn't lie to you again. What I do have is my word to Coulson that if he helped save and protect my daughter's life, then I would dedicate the rest of mine to protecting and serving my country." Her expression seemed to gauge every little nuance of his words.

He continued, "Someday when I die my daughter may want to know about her father, and Coulson promised when she becomes an adult if she looks into it, the information will made be available to her. All of it, and not just the abridged version. And when that happens I don't want her to read that the sum total of my entire life was a horror movie. I want her to know that from the moment I learned she existed, I gave my everything to being a better man for her. To make up for all the love, affection, protection, and caring she will never get from me." He was nearly trembling with emotion, and so was she. "So you can trust me because all of that matters more to me than my own life."

Giving a slow nod, her Face softened to an almost gentle expression. She couldn't believe him because the Ward she'd come to loathe in recent years was all she knew, but she had no choice at all. They were all alone in Russia on this mission and she was going to have to give him something he had not earned. Her trust. "There are nine Inhuman girls below the age of twenty being held captive by Vladimir at an unknown location. You read the reports, they have been brainwashed somehow to be obedient and will be sold to the highest bidders. They will be used in every way possible and I will not allow that to happen!" she spat out in a venomous tone. "I will literally do anything to save their lives. This is personal for me. As a Inhuman and as a woman."

"We won't be going in all guns blazing," Ward chimed in, knowing that would lead to disaster. "Vladimir isn't some mustache twirling villain of the week. He is a very powerful player in the Russian government and the Solntsevskaya Bratva criminal syndicates. Human trafficking is a business he has been in for nearly thirty years. He's a monster and his connections are global. He employs people with abilities and trusts no one but his own inner circle. So we will have to play the long game with him. Infiltration and manipulation will be our greatest weapons."

"I want to tear his heart out," Daisy seethed, willing her anger to subside. Clearer heads would prevail.

"In the end," Ward promised her. "But for now we need to get our eyes and ears in his organizations infrastructure. We need to mark a target in his inner circle and track everything he or she does. And we need Vladimir's eyes on us so closely he won't suspect we're here to take him out."

"Last time he got a whiff of someone betraying him he had forty-seven people beheaded just to prove a point," Daisy recalled reading in his profile report. She could only hope the girls would live long enough to be rescued. "He's paranoid, but that could work to our favor in the end. For now though we need to gain access to his network. Hacking his system won't be easy, but I have some new tricks up my sleeve that I've been saving for a rainy day."

"You're as capable as they come."

His compliment settled a warm feeling over her, but she had to quickly dismiss it. She just had too. But how was she supposed to hold onto that considering what else the night held for them? She gently nibbled at her bottom lip to settle herself. "Look, I think its time we address the massive elephant in the room." To his credit, and that was saying allot, Ward didn't feign ignorance. Instead his arms crossed his broad chest, the storm outside steadily picking up steam.

"Look, we both know there are cameras in our bedroom. Vladimir thinks I'm just your flavor of the week, but his interest in me can be used." Before he could interrupt, she pressed on, "Judging by his profile, we know he likes to watch his guests. Its a fetish. It gives us a in."

A heavy pause settled between them. Intensely emotional and complex as their eyes clashed.

"We could fake it," Ward spoke quietly, running a hand through his short dark hair as heavy rainfall outside fell.

"If his interest in me, in us, grows; then that's to our advantage." Her pulse was racing at the forbidden implications. Thank God for the alcohol loosening her nerves. Daisy was a full-fledged S.H.I.E.L.D agent and leader of the Secret Warriors. Lives were at stake. From the pit of her gut she knew there was no line she wouldn't cross to see this through. She'd mentally prepared for that on the long flight over here. "Vladimir has bought and sold lives for decades. He ruins everything he touches. What we are here to do is save nine girls lives and prevent their abilities from being abused. So when I weigh that versus 'anything' we have to do, I just don't care. Their lives matter more to me."

"What about Lincoln?"

While watching Ward closely, her face betrayed none of what she was thinking. And damn if there wasn't a tiny spark of delight in her at his obvious impatience with waiting for her reply. That little tick of his jaw. Twitch of that gorgeous mouth. "Like you give a fuck."

He did. More than he could say. More than he knew he had a right to feel. And her non-answer didn't help. She was tap dancing on his last nerve, and what was worse, she knew it. "Is that your final answer?"

"This isn't Jeopardy, Ward. I said I'd do anything to save those girls. There is no asterisk by that statement. I meant anything."

Ward respected the hell out of that, even as his traitorous body responded to the implications of her words. Even as his heart ached for a number of painful reasons. Nonetheless her steely drive was damn inspiring. "Inviting his obsession puts you in greater danger."

"Or gives us a better shot at saving those girls and embedding a bullet in his skull. It's a risk, and we have to take it." When Ward shook his head in pure frustration she could tell that he was upset for her sake. And she had no clue what to do with a caring Ward. She truly felt he was only an illusion she once dreamed of. Still dreamed of. "We knew this was an option."

His voice rose, "Only an option."

"Before the mission began," Daisy corrected him as thunder rattled a nearby window. "But judging by the way he was staring at me, constantly engaging me in conversation tonight and his past history, I think its a shot worth taking." Conflict was written all over his face. "As it stands we have zero intell on where he is keeping or how he is controlling those Inhuman girls." She stilled, needing to face this head-on. "We are going to have sex and let him watch. And then judge his behavior towards me tomorrow. And if nothing changes then we forget it ever happened and never look back. But if his interest in me makes him drop his guard then its a chance I am willing to take."

Ward suddenly felt her invade his personal space. So close he could smell the faint vodka on her breath. So close his cock throbbed violently in response. This was so fucked up and he knew if he were a better man he would find a way resist this. But deep down he understood her reasoning. And craved her desperately. It only took a few months of being anywhere near her again and she was coursing through his bloodstream as if she'd been a part of his D.N.A all his life. "I never wanted it to be like this," he admitted quietly, unsure if she would even believe him.

"Neither did I," she half-smiled in the shadows, allowing her thoughts a little trip down memory lane. A shattered, broken memory lane of yesteryear. "I always thought we'd have that drink, and then you'd walk me to my room all gentleman like and I'd pretend I was gonna do the whole 'five-date' rule thing, only to drag you inside and fuck you so hard you lost your mind."

Ward's mind just about detonated that very second, his blood pressure rising. Suddenly his gaze fell to her lush mouth. "Your kiss alone made me lose my mind."

Daisy visibly struggled with that admission, mentally challenging what she hoped was the truth versus his immense track record of betrayal. Could she accept 'this' Ward? Because dammit all to hell, a part of her wanted too. They couldn't fake love. But anger and lust, that they could do in spades. Thankfully or not, she was still attracted to him. Could still feel that ethereal draw that linked them in spite of everything.

Taking the bull by the horns, Daisy pressed a well-manicured finger in his chest, her tone as deadly as it was sensual. Her voice dripping with temptation. "What happens in this bedroom between us doesn't go in any report, ever. It'll never be spoken of. Stays between us. Dies between us. Is a means to a end, nothing more. Got it?"

"I want you!" Ward fiercely declared, erasing the space between them, forcing her back to the bedroom door with a audible thud. His hard body pressed into her, eyes bearing hungrily down at her with an intent to devour. She smelled so fucking good and looked even better. "I've always wanted you."

"I want you too," Daisy admitted softly because to do this she had to go all-in. To live in the moment, bull-dozing anything non-essential aside. No, she hadn't forgotten one single thing he'd done, nor the hurt in his eyes when he spoke of his daughter. The obvious pain. The regret. All of it could be used. "Rules?"

Ward's chest was heaving, lust roaring through him for her after all this time. His most treasured, most deeply buried fantasy. Skye. Always Skye. "Leave them at the door."

Reaching down between them, Daisy confidently grazed her hand over his thick, hard cock, cupping the length. Her caress elicited a husky hiss from his lips. On tippy-toes, she leaned to his ear, breathing softly, and whispered, "Can you make me forget every other man who's ever touched me?"

In a flash as a powerful boom of thunder rattled the walls, Ward captured her seductively parted mouth with a savage, predatory kiss. His hands locked on her wrists, lifting them up above her head, and then he lost his mind when her tongue pushed wetly at his lips, seeking entry. He sucked at the tip, drawing hungrily as their bodies rocked against each other.

There was an animalistic quality to their violent kissing. Hard and desperately intense, as if nothing in existence could sate their angry hunger for each other.

Ward released her wrists, his hand reaching round her hip to turn the door knob, granting them entrance to the luxuriously spacious bedroom. They lustfully kissed their way inside, gracefully edging backwards toward the bed as she slipped out of her heels.

Moaning softly from the seductive heat of his warm mouth sucking at the side of her neck, Daisy felt his fingers caress her thighs as he began lifting her dress up over her head. The decadent piece dripped from his fingertips to the hardwood floor, a pool of wine-red.

Ward's dark eyes drank in the exquisite sight of her figure. Her muscle definition, no doubt from hard gym training and field work, only added to how incredibly alluring she was. The gentle swell of her breasts encased in black satin lace, its matching thong crippled what was left of his sanity as he ached for this woman like no other. "You're a masterpiece," he declared while staring into her beautiful eyes.

And then she silently mouthed something incredibly private to him. Something cloaked by the storms growing downpour pelting the windows. 'Call me Skye'

That was for him, for her, and likely for more reasons than Ward cared to think about to deeply right now. But what he was sure of was that it wasn't for Vladimir. And that was all that mattered. He shrugged off his expensive suit jacket, letting it fall to the floor. He began tugging at the knot of his tie. Once done, a small hand deftly slid it from around his neck, tossing it aside.

Daisy stepped forward, undoing the first three buttons of his tailor-made dress shirt until her impatience kicked in and she ripped it down the center, buttons now falling to the floor. He had the nerve to smirk. She suppressed a grin of her own. "Don't you dare say someone's anxious."

"And yet that fact remains," he playfully teased her while tearing the shirt off, followed by the undershirt.

Her nipples tightened at the vision of his hard body, and even the lines of scars marking his toned chest and belly. "I can work with this," Daisy she teased right back.

Ever silent under her appraisal, Ward followed her gaze to the bullet wound scars she'd inflicted across his stomach. Gentle fingers slowly traced over the raised skin before she rose to kiss him hard, as if to drive away any real intimacy for the sake of lust. Following her lead, his strong hands grabbed her ass tight, squeezing the supple cheeks that had driven him crazy all night, drawing her ever closer. She did away with his belt while he finished the rest. "Turn around, Skye. Face the bed."

Unconsciously, Daisy did as she was told, walking away from him. Even though she wasn't naked yet she felt his eyes ferociously undressing her. Felt the fire in his eyes all over her body. The slick, needy throb between her thighs was all because of him. Her tongue wet her lips, appalled at her own lust. "What's next?"

"I'm going to suck your pussy until you scream my name."

Glancing at him from over her shoulder, her knees went weak at the ravenous expression he wore. She delivered no snarky reply cause her brain stopped functioning entirely. The forbidden disbelief of this moment was shocking to her. And then he was behind her, his warm body flush against hers, skin to skin, and she couldn't remember any other man making her feel this way. He drew her shoulder-length hair aside, now pressing lush kisses to the nape of her neck. Kisses she arched into, giving herself over to this rush of passion. Felt him flick the clasp of her bra, slipping it off her slender shoulders.

And then his embrace captured her around her waist, hands rising to firmly cup the swells of her breasts. She moaned, grinding her ass back against a very hard cock. Feeling its hot throb against her skin, she panted, "Look, I'm on the... We both had blood-work done before... We're clean, so... yeah..."

"Fuck!" Ward firmly kneaded her breasts, swiping his thumb over erect nipples while sucking hungrily at her pulse. The little whimpery sounds escaping her were the most erotic noises he'd ever heard in his entire life. "You trying to kill me, Skye?"

"Already tried that. Thought I'd... thought I'd vary my approach to taking you down." She felt him grin evilly over her shoulder, and then the erotic nip of his teeth at the side of her neck. Talented fingers rolled a tight nipple, while his other hand descended inside her panties, stroking her bare sex until she was grinding violently against him. Her head resting over his shoulder, humming shamelessly when he cupped her slick mound.

Unable to wait a second more, Ward drew her thong down her thighs and off to the side. The softness of her skin was as intoxicating as the scent of her arousal. "Bend over."

That gorgeous ass of hers left him spellbound as Daisy spread her smooth legs and bent over the bed. Caressing his hand over a rounded cheek, Ward fell to his knees, chest heaving at the womanly scent of her and the luscious glistening rose between her thighs that drove him crazy with desire. "So perfect."

"Ward," she shivered mightily, and then gasped when his tongue lashed a juicy trail down her slit, and then slowly back up, before descending lazily once more. Over and over and over again the wide flat of his tongue parted her folds, nibbling softly, lapping at her with firm wet strokes. Her thighs trembled, nipples tightened in approval. Slicking his chin as he drowned in the flavor of her sex, breathing hotly over her sensitive flesh.

"Yesss... Mmmm, Godyes!" Daisy's back arched when his fluttering tongue pushed at her entrance. Waves of pleasure coursed through her, the sheer thrill of his lust for her amplifying her own. Even if she regretted this tomorrow she intended to revel in it tonight. Red fingernails dug hard into the beige bed sheets as he began sucking her cunt with such a desperate hunger, causing her to twist and shift over the bed. Her breasts tingled as she listened to the primal, husky growls he made. The perfect smooth rhythm of his tongue left her shivering as she had never been so wet for a man.

So bare and beautiful over his tongue, Ward groaned at the sweet taste of her sex. Her wetness coated his lips, his heart racing, blood pumping hard through his body. The sheer adrenalin rush of having her at long last was beyond intoxicating. He was already fantasizing about the next time he could make love to her with his mouth while doing it in real-time. He was that far gone for this woman.

His tongue whirled round and round her weeping slit, overcome by the passion this woman created in him. Lashing wetly over her sensitive clit until she quivered, he fell in love with the erotic sounds ripped from her throat. Sucking greedily at her clit, his hands braced on her thighs, face buried between her legs, devouring her pussy. "Can't... can't get enough of you," he declared huskily. "God, you taste so fucking good!"

"Fuck, Ward... God... ahh... ahhh!" Insatiable heat coiled in her belly, curling her toes at this man's incredible skill and passion for her. She felt his warm hands canvass her backside, squeezing her ass, holding her where he wanted her. Wincing lustfully, her forehead dipped to the mattress, eyes squeezed shut as her pussy was sucked from behind by a man relentlessly intent on making her cum so damn hard. "Uhhnn... Don'tstop... so close," she hissed, trembling over the bed.

Flicking his tongue madly over her clit as she thrust her sex against his face, the writhe and twist of her hips signaled how close she was to the edge. He wanted her flying off so hard she couldn't think straight. He soaked his tongue in her wetness, reveling in the husky groans he loved hearing her make. As turned on as he had ever been, he began sucking her clit hard. Her sensual cries filled the air around them.

"Ward... I'm, fuck... OhGodOhGod! Ward!" Skye's mouth opened in a wild silent cry, her face contorting lustfully as she jerked hard. Wailing as she came in his hungry sucking mouth. Through it all he never stopped, feasting loudly as she shivered all over through one of the most violent orgasms of her entire life. And when she was finally sated, she slumped forward on the bed, boneless and grinning.

Feeling quite playfully evil, Daisy gave a seductive smirk her shoulder. Her beautiful face flushed a faint pink as she panted, "Hail Hydra."

On his knees still brushing his lips over her heart-shaped ass, Ward found her devastatingly charming. "And I thought I couldn't get any harder."

"We'll see about that," she whispered to him, rising up on her forearms, legs spread ever so, and gave a little seductive sway of her ass back and forth. "See something you like?"

Erotically hypnotized, Ward pondered in the back of his mind how much of this was the 'real' Skye versus a show of provocative bravado for the sake of 'who' might be watching. He could eat the small ache of caring silently tomorrow. For now he just needed her more than he needed to breathe. Always needed her. He dropped his briefs, brushing them away with the side of his foot.

Finally seeing all of him for the first time, Skye blinked cause Ward was more than a man and a half. More man than she had ever been with before. So damn beautiful she felt her sex clench at the sight of him naked. Bared for her eyes to drown in. It was beyond comprehension that this was going to happen with him at all, much less in this way. But riding the wave of dark emotion and lust, she wanted it and wasn't feeling apologetic about it at all. "Don't keep a girl waiting."

"Skye," he softly chanted her name as the storm raged outside, and then swatted her ass hard, watching the cheek redden ever so. She bit her bottom lip, glaring at him from over her shoulder. "Skye," he spoke her name again in reverence, moving behind her, pressing the head of his cock at her slick entrance. "God, Skye," he swore as he pushed deep inside her in one long thrust, loving the way her head bowed to the mattress. Closing his eyes at the delicious sensation of her tight heat around him, his pulse thumping so hard it made his vision blur. He grasped her slender hips, drawing back almost to the tip before gliding forward hard, loving the sharp cry that ripped from her lips. "God, Skye... fuck..."

Her breasts swayed with the motion of Ward's body rocking into hers from behind. Eyes squeezed shut, the erotic fullness of having all of him inside her, Daisy was immersed in fiery pleasure. The deep, jolting thrusts pushing her forward on the bed, her inner muscles clenching wildly around him, her hips moving to match his pace. She had never wanted a man this badly before. This bone-deep thirst to claim him as hers. The primal grunts he made behind her were more animal than man, and she loved his incredible desire for her. How he couldn't seem to get enough of her, swearing her name and how good she felt around him. Nails dug into the sheets, she whimpered, "Fuck me hard, Ward."

The way she bucked her hips back at him with an insatiable need drove him mad with desire. This was Skye. His Skye, the only woman that had ever made him feel anything good... anything genuine... Fuck, he'd lost her and now if this was anything at all close to a shot at a second chance he was going to be a better man for her. Their first time could never have been soft music and sweet lovemaking cause their history was drowned in blood and betrayal. It called for hot lust that drove them crazy, as that was how he felt right now while taking her deep and hard from behind.

Grinding against each other now, with his large frame draped over her back as they fucked violently. Ward grabbed a handful of her hair, drawing it back in his fist, while her nails dug into his hips when she reached behind her. He was pounding into her so possessively, and she matched his aggression, grunting and swearing as they moved as one.

"Goddammit, Ward... Wardfuck!" Daisy bucked hard, suddenly coming around him, her sex clutching rhythmically as a howl tore from her throat. Panting and squirming as he fucked her with deep, impacting thrusts. Her nipples tingled over the sheets, her face near buried against a pillow as aftershocks trembled through her. She was breathing so hard she couldn't speak when he pulled out of her, flipped her over on the bed and covered her a second later.

Nothing ever was more beautiful that a sweaty-faced, post-orgasmic Skye. Her gorgeous hair softly matted to her forehead, mouth gently parted, kiss swollen lips begging for attention. Every damn thing his soul ever wanted was the erotic expression she wore. His quiet voice was laced with emotion. "Garrett said you were my weakness."

Unconsciously raising a hand to his cheek, she lovingly caressed the light stubble there. "He was a monster that wanted to bring the monster out of you. And he did. But not forever. Love isn't a weakness. The love you have for your daughter released the real you."

"And for you," Ward said before he could catch himself. Blinking, she stared deeply into his eyes as if searching for sincerity, and then gave a slow nod. He bent to kiss her, not willing to risk anymore tonight, and then slowly pushed back inside her. A gushing breath escaped them both, their eyes locked as they began to move. In the center of the bed, kissing with such hunger, fucking each other.

With one small lamp barely lighting the room, and the sprinkling of a fading thunderstorm tapping the windows, Ward and Daisy engaged in a mad, sultry, lust-filled coupling. Kissing deeply, gasping and panting over the sweat-dampened sheets, her legs wrapped around his back. His hips snapping into hers, knees digging into the mattress.

Conflicting emotions wrecked havoc with their hearts, but damn it all to hell, this moment was worth everything.

Their foreheads pressed together, gazing into each others eyes. The bed shook, rocking backward with the force of his urgent, deep thrusts. Her fingers skimmed across his hips before grabbing on as he drove as deep as he could into her, taking her hard. Delicious waves of pleasure cascaded over her as her legs locked tightly around him, drawing him in deeper, giving all of herself to him. Her hips bucked as she squeezed around him, crying out, "Don't stop!"

"Never!" Ward promised, now French kissing her neck with teeth and his tongue, marking her skin. And then he dared to ask, "Better than Lincoln?"

Daisy found the depths of his challenging gaze held a glint of mischief. In response her pretty mouth curled into a hint of a daring smile, "I plead the fifth." The sudden flash of jealousy, intense and real, that scowled over his face was priceless. Her nails dug into his shoulders as she aggressively met every one of his long, deep thrusts. Her tightness selfishly drawing around him, eyes fluttering shut, arms wrapped around his neck like a vice. Waves of pleasure built once more as she bit at the shell of his ear, panting, "And where do I rank?"

Ward gazed down at her strikingly beautiful face, her eyes dark, pupils wide, losing himself in the slick depths of her. His mouth claimed hers in a deeply, soulful kiss so enticing he could barely stand it. Where they began and the mission ended could be debated for another day. But for now, in this moment, he felt content for the first time in his whole life. He nibbled at her bottom lip, thrusting hard enough that her expressions were so deliciously erotic he knew he would never get over this woman. "Best I ever had," he admitted as she began to buck and tremble beneath him.

"Ward,fuck...I'm gonna...OhGoddammit!

His own control slipping fast, their bodies slapped against each other, moving across the sweat-soaked sheets half clinging to their skin. Suddenly Daisy gave a deafening inarticulate cry as she came hard. She bucked wildly beneath him...

God, he'd made her cum hard again, as the bewitching sight of her face wincing lustfully combined with the loud, rhythmic smacking sounds of flesh mating frantically. Suddenly her name roared from his lips as she felt him stiffen, thrust deep, and then the wet heat of his climax erupting inside her in long thick satisfying bursts. Her sex drew around him tightly until she had it all. Until he had no more to give, now spent and gasping for air.

Long, quiet moments later as their breathing settled there was an emotional, monumental, life-altering, can't-ever-go-back-from this sense they both felt. This wasn't happily-ever-after lets go buy a house and have kids, but it felt like a genuine first step. Even though they were chipping away at the mountain of their issues with a toothpick, there was unmistakable meaning behind what just took place here.

As her heart began beating at a normal pace, Daisy grinned up at Ward. "You're heavy."

He smiled down at her. "But you feel so good."

Daisy tried not to beam a smirk that matched his own. Instead she attempted to return to the reason why they were in Russia, but her heart wasn't having it. Not just yet. She sighed when he gently pulled out of her, now lying close beside her as he drew the covers around them. Close enough that their faces felt the warmth of the others breathing. And she had never felt more at peace and at war with herself at the same time. She moved in closer, whispering for his ears only, "I want to believe everything you told me tonight, but you've given me a world of very good reasons to distrust you."

Ward couldn't argue the point, nor would he insult her with his defense. "Trust is earned, and I have a very long way to go. I understand that, Skye. I don't expect anything."

"You've hurt allot of people. I can't and won't forget that." To his credit there was no wounded puppy dog expression or anything like that. His expression was weary and a bit somber, but honest. Was he truly grasping how far he had fallen and how far he still had to go? Or was she just hoping for it to be real?

"But..." she sighed to gather her thoughts and try to make sense of them. "I know Coulson, and if he verified everything you said, then I want to help you." Surprise, at least momentarily, lit his gaze. "I want to give you the benefit of the doubt. But you have one shot, and I mean only one."

"I understand," he nodded, suppressing the desire to hold her again.

"As for you and I," she pointed her finger between them, "I don't know what we could... I don't even know if I..."

"I won't fail you again," Ward interrupted her, knowing it was far, far to soon for that talk. "And I promise that I will never lie to you."

"We're square, for now." She thought of offering her hand to shake, but that didn't make sense considering they were both naked after having the best sex of her entire life.

"You never did answer my question?"

Ward was a dick. And he was consistently a dick. "Didn't my three orgasms stroke your ego enough?"

"Why won't you answer the question?" he grinned evilly.

"Cause you want me to so badly." There was more she wanted to say and even more, very scary things she felt for him already. But right now she needed space. Distance so she didn't do anything stupid like climb back in his lap and ride him all night long. Unsure of what they were supposed to do now, she simply excused herself from the bed, slipping out from under the covers. "I'm gonna go grab a shower."

"What, no cuddling?" He had the nerve to appear wounded.

Ward was teasing her and Daisy knew it. But did he know her body was still craving his even now? She shook her head, but offered him a small smile as she walked away. And she felt his eyes all over her.

And she liked it far more than she could say.

* * *

 **"Matryoshka Manor"**  
 **30,000 square foot, eleven bedroom mansion sitting on nine acres of wooded land.**  
 **'The back of the house' - Private Security Control Room 4th floor Saturday, October 4th, 2016 - 12:50 AM Moscow region, Odintsovo area, Gorki-2**

Vladimir Volkoff was a man of many faces.

While nursing Moskovskaya Vodka from an antique crystal glass, Vladimir reclined before a vast array of internet-connected 24'inch high-definition monitors. Collectively there were well over seventy, offering him full reign over his massive empire. Each screen revealed a different shade of the reclusive silver-haired billionaire the Russian press secretly dubbed 'The End All'.

With a rousing symphony of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakovmusic playing, his possessive gaze fell upon 20th screen from the far right revealing twenty-year old daughter Katra Volfoff's dorm-room at Lomonosov Moscow State University. The world history major's sleeping form offered him the only true peace he required in this world, with being her father the sum total of his connection to the human race. She was his treasure, though at no time did less than five of his men let her out of their sights. He would protect her with his dying breath as she was all the family he had left in this world.

Then there were the multiple screens offering clear glimpses from the largest airport in Russia, Domodedovo International Airport. He owned and controlled it with the unspoken of blessing of the government, and it was a great aid to both his legal and underground business interests. It was worth over two billion dollars a year to him, and strategically kept a stranglehold on businesses that worked in the former U.S.S.R. If you did business in Russia, then you were forced to do business with him.

Then there were the tracking screens that even his vaunted Inner Circle were not aware of. Information was power and he was always informed of their activities. Their communications and lies. They existed to serve him, and were greatly reward with power and influence. Anastasia, Victor, Silas, and Karloff were loyal. Blood debt loyal. Had all proven themselves trustworthy a thousand times over. All had blood on their hands on his behalf. But were still assets at the end of the day. And he kept a watchful eye over all of his assets.

Total control of all he commanded, the innocent beauty young women, and old money drenched in blood defined his very existence.

Ever focused on staying one step ahead of the entire world, Vladimir observed like-minded politicians, both here and abroad, that he'd had dealings with over the years. And their families. Accountants. Business partners. Mistresses. Whores. Anyone who might someday be useful to him via manipulation and blackmail. Anyone who could enhance his control over them.

Threaten a man with a gun and his fear might someday turn to rage for being sick and tired of being afraid. But threaten his family and his pride, those traits were the most useful of all. They cut the deepest. Everyone on the planet loved something. And if they didn't, they wanted too. He only needed to figure out what that was, and he always did.

From his private team of computer hackers to a small armada of high-tech drones and deadly field agents who carried out his every command, his global reach was staggering. There were screens dedicated to tracking his enemies, members of the Russian government, military leaders, and the remnants of the Russian mafia. Terrorist organizations. Banking institutions. All of them, he watched closely, ever aware.

At age 57, his rugged body still required less than five hours sleep a day. He could rest when he was dead, he'd told his 'Right Hand' some time ago. From the moment he woke up each morning he oversaw a vast public and private empire he'd built with his own two hands. Hands covered in a great deal of blood for certain, but far superior than the coal dust from the Siberian mines he worked in his youth.

Seated back in his luxurious leather office chair, Vladimir listened as the rain pounded down again, with blasts of wind rattling the windows. In the midst of the storm he found it oddly soothing. Behind his broad communication terminal, he reveled in the sounds of an angry Mother Nature while pondering his immense good fortune of late.

While human trafficking had made him rich and powerful due the the lustful, undeniably forbidden needs of the masses. The addition of enhanced people throughout the world, especially those Inhumans, have granted him untold opportunities to expand and future-proof his empire in ways he'd never imagined.

Yes, he'd made a spiritual deal with the devil years ago when he set about this path of ruthlessness, but it was a debt he could rationalize. He wanted far more than a early grave from near slave labor just to make enough money to eat each day. He craved a life of control and influence. And to know that he could take the world by the throat and choke it until he had everything he wanted was an undeniable high even the best cocaine could not reach.

Now that Vladimir had Gallic by his side he could locate Inhumans anywhere on the planet. And until or if this Killgrave person was ever proven to exist, he possessed the next best thing. Though far from perfect, his scientists and surgeons have the "Lullaby" technique fully active and operational. Gallic could find Inhumans wherever they hid and now Vladimir had the means to control them once his extraction team acquired the asset. At the end of the day they were all assets.

It was business, never personal.

To say that Inhumans were different was a vast oversimplification of their very existence. Their powers were astounding. Beings able to phase through solid objects, project themselves across a room, alter their appearance, and even fly. Vladimir was truly seeing the signs and wonders of this present day. And whatever he saw, he controlled.

Which brought him back to the sixth screen from the far left. An incredibly beautiful woman in the shower, dripping wet beneath the hot spray, no doubt washing away her lover's scent after a night of hard fucking. Gallic informed him after dinner that she was Inhuman, but her exotic part-Asian features reminded him of his deceased wife Pilar. And that jarring fact captured his inner most thoughts more than Gallic's revelation.

Her name was Skye, and even his vast database and advanced facial recognition software couldn't find a match for her in all the world. Intriguing to say the least, as were her powers. She belonged to Grant Ward, new Head of Hydra. A secretive, very powerful organization that had undergone massive restructuring due to the mass killing of nearly all of its leadership.

He knew that Grant Ward was a former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. before betraying them for Hydra. Highly trained and considered one of the worlds most dangerous men. He was a cold blooded killer, clever, and extremely capable. Possessed a slippery intellectuality that likely kept him alive, and a streak of luck that was all his own. Vladimir considered how he accepted the invitation and arrived in Russia with only the woman. No doubt despite his best security, Mr. Ward had Hydra agents on standby, ready to move in and kill everything.

Vladimir detested drawn out wars, and didn't seek one with Hydra as they were prone to bouts of madness. His brutality was more subtle. There were heads of Hydra who dreamed of old-school world domination, likening them to characters from a James Bond movie. For Vladimir, he wanted the world to keep right on spinning the way it always had. And in the background he would pull the strings. Though he did not fear Hydra, they worked far better as allies than bitter enemies. And this Grant Ward could become a valuable asset provided their business dealings went smoothly. Still, he would be watched closely.

As he was tonight.

Having spilled his seed all over his hands watching that incredible creature known as Skye, he coveted Mr. Ward's woman with a simmering need. That she was Inhuman and untraceable amplified his interest in her. She had his attention. Her sexual allure was devastating as he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. His thoughts. Perhaps he would even trade her for one of the Inhuman girls he possessed. Perhaps she was Mr. Ward's body-guard, and possessed some incredible ability.

More and more by the second his interest in her accelerated. And now, as he watched Skye in the shower, his thoughts strayed ever so from business and towards what would it take to acquire her as well. Twenty-five billion and a world of favors from extremely powerful organizations worldwide were on the line in the next two weeks.

And yet this bewitching woman had already captured his most private thoughts with an incontestable power.

 **The End of Chapter 1**

 **Chapter 2: Ward and Daisy find their target amongst Vladimir's Inner Circle, even as they navigate their very intense feelings for each other.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: "Darker"**  
 **(2/?)**  
 **Written by: Shawn30**

 **Summary: Daisy and Ward begin investigating Vladimir's deadly Inner Circle, while the Russian billionaire's interest in Daisy intensifies. Ward and Daisy continue blurring the waters between passion, love, and duty.**

 **Spoilers: Up to and including Season 3/Episode 7 "Agents of Shield" AU after that. Story picks up Fall of 2016.**

 **Category: Angsty Romance - Erotica - Drama - Violence - Action Rating: MA Ship: SkyeWard**

 **As if you were on fire from within. The moon lives in the lining of your skin. - Pablo Neruda**

* * *

 **"Matryoshka Manor"**  
 **30,000 square foot, eleven bedroom mansion sitting on nine acres of wooded land.**  
 **Saturday, October 4th, 2016 - 9:15 AM Moscow region, Odintsovo area, Gorki-2**

An ominous beginning to a new day.

Having full command of the massive glass-enclosed circular dining hall, Vladimir Volkoff's heavily accented voice declared, "Ladies and gentleman, please welcome Mr. Grant Ward, supreme leader of Hydra. And his astonishingly beautiful companion, Skye." Seated at the head of the Cornelio luxury Italian dining table, the Russian billionaire was flanked by the four members of his mysterious Inner Circle. Absent from last nights arrival dinner, rare was it that they were gathered in the same place at the same time. But the coming days were extraordinary to say the least.

Motioning for his guests to come closer, and then the two dozen servants nearby. Vladimir smiled warmly, arms extended in greeting. "They honor us with their presence and business interests. We will treat them as family for the duration of their stay. Whatever there wish, grant it. Regale them as you would regale me."

Standing side-by-side at the heavily-guarded entrance, Ward and Skye entered as the five individuals acknowledged their presence with respectful nods. Servants lined against the walls on both sides kept their heads bowed, no doubt used to not making eye contact unless ordered too. Thus was the way of Matryoshka Manor.

The extravagant decor present here was nearly beyond reason. From the inlay Italian marble floor, luxury stained-glass windows, and a collection of priceless oil paintings adorning the walls that likely should have been in a museum were meant to convey Vladimir's immense wealth so that he might ever appear above all who entered his home. In his eyes the path to true intimidation was illuminated far clearer with the jealous allure of great fortune than the ever-present threat of a weapon.

He believed in killing you with kindness. And then if that didn't work, he'd just kill you.

Vladimir motioned for the servants to begin bringing in the buffet as they quickly exited the room. "Mr. Ward, Skye, thank you both for accepting my last minute breakfast invitation. I know how anxious you are to begin the bidding procedures, but rest assured when the other buyers arrive in the next two days I will guarantee your excitement over the assets I have for sale. To that end I am planning a demonstration of sorts for Wednesday night. One you won't want to miss it."

Tipping the brim of his glasses, Ward rounded the large mahogany table, and then pulled a chair for Skye. After she was seated, he took his own next to her, the expression he wore ever calm and self-assured. "While I was interested in trying out Cafe Gelateria Plombir in Moscow as I had heard great things about it, I would never turn down an opportunity to impart my deep interest in the acquisition of your incredible assets." And then with a sly expression of quiet possessiveness, he gazed at Skye. "And my companion so enjoyed your company last night that she was not opposed to dining in. We appreciate your hospitality."

Vladimir's gaze narrowed ever so, his inner thoughts as well hidden as his secrets. But still, dark green eyes fell over Skye in an appraising fashion. She was an exquisite beauty in his eyes. "You are most welcome, Mr Ward."

Never more thankful for May's deep-cover training than right now, Skye deftly managed a casual, if slightly guarded persona. Despite the sudden and complete sense of revulsion she felt at her knowledge of the thousands of womens lives ruined to pay for such luxury, she made direct eye contact with Vladimir for a mere second longer than necessary before casually peering away. But not before flashing a hint of a seductive smile. It wasn't so much shy as it as daring as it was in Ward's presence.

After reading Vladimir's personal profile report it noted that the Russian billionaire's interests weren't the innocent type at all. He read like a psychopathic megalomaniac with an obsessive paranoid streak, deep need to control women, and zero respect for them. All hidden beneath a false shadow of charm and sophistication. "I had such a great evening last night, and the food was incredible. You are quite the storyteller, Mr. Volkoff."

"Skye, you greatly humble an old man with your kind words," he replied politely, if insincerely as the erotic memory of her lustful grunts last night as she was fucked her hard filled his mind with an inescapable imprint. There was far more to this one that met the eyes, and he was fascinated to learn more. But all in due time.

"Old man is hardly how I would describe someone as worldly as you, Mr. Volkoff."

"Vladimir, my dear."

"Vladimir," she amended warmly. His impeccable dark polo shirt and slacks, high-end tailor-made attire for certain, reeked of power and confidence. Even his posture spoke of a man who was always in control of his surroundings. But his excess was built on the horrors of human trafficking and murder. Rooted in the pain and suffering of women forced to whore against their will. Some as young as twelve sold to depraved monsters And for that she would make him pay someday soon for all of it.

One of Vladimir's Inner Circle stepped in to pull his chair for him, and once he was seated they all fell in line on opposite sides. "After breakfast please feel free to tour the grounds at your leisure. My security and staff are aware and at your disposal."

"You are too kind, sir. I have already found much here that interests me in your lovely home," Skye proclaimed with an air of wonder as she peered around the sprawling surroundings, her expression filled with no small amount of awe. "And I see we have other guests."

Vladimir gave a slow nod, deftly appraising her black Shawl-Collar Crepe Blazer and Flat-Front Seersucker pants ensemble. She made a womens power suit look sexy as hell. "My Inner Circle are my most oldest and most trusted allies. Their presence is in honor of all who are visiting to participate in this once in a lifetime auction," he began to explain as a cup of coffee was poured for him. "The Chinese contingent will arrive Monday morning, followed by the Saudi Arabian and Easter European delegates on Tuesday. Last, but not least, the Japanese will arrive Tuesday night."  
"So I have less than forty-eight hours to convince you to send them all apologies for making travel arrangements because you have sold all of your assets to me," Ward interjected as a servant girl poured him a cup of steaming tea.

"You presume I am only interested in the highest bidder," Vladimir gently corrected, hands clasped before him, ever aloof. "But there are times when your interests are best served with the most valuable allies than the greatest fortune."

"So I can't just extend to you a blank check and be on my way?" Ward offered confidently.

Vladimir smiled as he leaned over the table. "It would prove futile to make any offer at this time. But rest assured you will have your opportunity. For now though, allow me to introduce my Inner Circle." His hand extended to the gentleman seated on his right. "This is Victor Barinov. He is the head of security for my organization, and a fixer of sorts. He does not solve problems for me as much as erase them before they can exist. He is very skilled, if a bit anti-social. So I will apologize in advance for his manners, or lack thereof"

Ward looked the towering brick wall of a man over. Appearing to be in his late-forties. A burly build, with broad shoulders, standing at least 6'4. His bald head and a ragged dark beard crafted a picture of a cold being with a glare as emotionless as any he'd ever seen. Ward got the sense that there were no complexities with this man. He remorselessly did the dirty work. Dressed in dark clothing, his sweater clung to his powerful physique. "Victor," he acknowledged.

Victor offered a brief nod in reply, his stare direct as a bullet. His thick Russian accent offered, "I have heard of you, Mr. Ward."

Ward gave a small grin. "Only good things I hope."

"That you are a betrayer and a killer."

Ward's expression dismissed the claim. "Those descriptions are far to simplistic. I am simply a man who is relentlessly focused on my ideals."

"That would make two of us, comrade," Victor agreed, sizing up the American who now ruled Hydra. A man he had repeatedly warned Vladimir not to do business with. From all the reports he'd read of Grant Ward he found him viciously capable and unpredictable. Not the type of man they needed to do business with, especially now with all of Hydra at his disposal.

Uncaring about the stare down of the tow men, Vladimir continued on, "Next is my lovely international liaison, Anastasia Annikov. She is the face and fist of my global network. She speaks several languages fluently and understands my foreign interests far greater than even I. Whatever I need, whenever I need it, wherever I need it to go, Anastasia provides without fail."

Skye noted that Vladimir's voice carried with it a note of genuine respect even as she didn't get the sense of a sexual vibe between him and the woman he employed. The leader of the Inhumans observed the faint hint of a grin that never quite reached Anastasia's lips. Its seemed forced rather than a genuine bit of appreciation. Looking to be in her late thirties, Anastasia's features and green eyes were regal. She had a air about her that appeared very serious, though very attractive. Beautifully unattainable, her slender build and long dark hair complimented her quietly understated look. Sans lipstick and wearing very little make-up, she wore a white business suit that looked more expensive than everything in Skye's wardrobe. "Good morning, Anastasia. Pleasure to meet you."

"Good morning, Skye. Mr. Ward," Anastasia replied in a precise manner of speech, her European accent evident. Her tone was clipped, and yet not completely unfriendly. Unwelcome is more like it.

Her sky blue eyes peered between Skye and Ward as if gauging what was there. 'Join the club', Skye thought to herself.

"Might I inquire what is is you do for Mr. Ward?" Anastasia questioned as she sat up straight, eyeing her closely.

"I am responsible for his well being and interests."

"Lover?"

"And Inhuman," Skye smiled as there was not a single expression of shock anywhere, which spoke volumes to her. So they had a means to know if someone were Inhuman and had already used it on her. Good to know. Another puzzle piece fell into place. "I remove threats to Mr. Ward and Hydra."

"And yet no one on Earth seems to know who you are or where you come from? Our best information experts can find no trace of you existing," Anastasia noted with a sliver of awe... and hope.

"I am very good at my job."

"Incredible, in my eyes," Ward noted as he met Skye's gaze, and for a heartbeat it was just them.

"To my left is Silas Golovkin," Vladimir introduced next. "He is the chief legal officer of my organization. As clever as they come, and devious as I need him to be."

"I have heard that all lawyers are evil," Ward joked.

"Then you have heard correct," Silas managed a curt reply, delicately setting his napkin before him. Every movement precise and calculated.

"I figured as much." Ward noted that Silas seemed painfully thin and tall. Wirely. Older than the others, likely early fifties. There was a weary quality to his patchy skin and sunken dark eyes, as if he never slept. Perhaps battling an illness. And watching him reprimand a servant for his food touching, and then demanding the next servant pour his coffee wearing gloves, he gave off a OCD sense that was curious.

"Lastly to my far left is Karloff Yerkov," Vladimir introduced as Bavarain sausage, black bread, and blini's were served. "He is a recruiter of sorts. Whether they are for others or myself, he is extremely capable at fulfilling the needs of my clients. He and his men acquire much of the female talent in my casinos and brothels, as well as labor. His tastes are impeccable."

Ward quickly saw 'raving lunatic' written all his fully bearded face. Possessing a hard face, he made no eye contact at all, eating minus any pleasantries. Felt like a wild card, as if he had no real interest in being here. He was likely the head of Vladimir's human trafficking business, and the revulsion in Skye's gaze was ever apparent. This man felt 'off' in every way possible. "Thank you all for being here. We are honored by your presence as I have heard it is a rare occurrence that all of you are gathered in the same place."

"Tread carefully, American," Victor warned with a pointed gaze. "Rumors of our comings and goings are of no concern to you."

"Treading carefully is not the HYDRA way," Ward defied him. "And I would remind you of your place, Lest you need a lesson in me putting you in it." He knew when one was in the lions den, you had to ensure everyone knew you enjoyed the taste of blood. Victor glared hatefully, but after a glance at Vladimir he exhaled and said no more. That hot temper of his might prove useful. "So please give me some suggestions of places I might visit. We're kind of itching to see the sites."

Skye interjected in the conversation appropriately, playing her role as the companion and something more. Vladimir's gaze sent shivers of disgust down her spine, but she conveyed the opposite, seemingly enjoying the attention in a playful manner. All the while knowing the facial recognition software she created that was connected to Ward's glasses were cross-matching all the members of the Inner Circle so that in a few hours they would know everything there was to know about Vladimir Volkoff's most trusted allies. Her cell phone was hijacking apps in their phones and slowly creating software updates to hack into them later tonight, another example of her software magic.

So she ate the delicious breakfast as any guest would, and then commented on the make and model of two firearms nearby guards wore on their hips. Her knowledge of weaponry seemed to surprise Vladimir and Anastasia, while the others seemed uncaring. Likely assuming she was no more than present-day pussy to Ward. Never had she been more grateful for their sexism as underestimating her created further opportunities.

But as breakfast neared its end, she felt this subtle tremor crawl up and down her spine. This beat of caution, as if someone was watching her. Drawing some sense of understanding from her very being. Someone not at this table or in this room.

Someone Inhuman.

 **The Moscow Kremlin Armory Museum**

 **Located within the Moscow Kremlin Saturday, October 4th, 2016 - 12:20 PM Moscow, Russia, 103073**

Less than twenty-four hours had passed since they arrived at Domodedovo International Airport in Moscow and Daisy was already looking upon Ward with new eyes.

From her perch on a set of winding stone steps outside Dvor cafe, Daisy's gaze drank in the sight of him from across the street. Having purchased them tickets for a tour of nearby landmarks, Ward peered thoughtfully, embracing the distant wonders of the Kremlin Cathedrals, Red Square, and the Hermitage. The expression he wore was both appreciative of the history set before him and somber as she knew the pain slowly squeezing his soul to death. Was he thinking of Mila? Of the choices he'd made in his life? Her... As sparse crowds walked by, his stoic body language clearly echoed he was lost in his own world, seemingly taken away from the mission for a time.

God was he so handsome to her.

Daisy sighed to herself, drawing the collar of her beige coat a bit closer to her neck to fight off a sudden misty chill. No, this was not the SAME Ward she came to loathe with every fiber of her being. The one responsible for so much of her personal disappointment and the suffering of others.

But in this moment, at this time, Daisy was trusting her gut and her heart. Neither of which her brain was one hundred percent certain of. She was at war with herself, both angry, anxious, and aroused after the carnal events of last night. Ward had committed such evil and betrayal in recent years, all of which he now readily admitted was alone his fault. None of which had escaped her memory for even a second.

Still, despite all rhyme and reason, her heart was screaming that this provocative change in him was real. That scream was thunderous, though being able to trust it wasn't going to be easy. Coulson's encrypted email this morning confirmed every single thing Ward told her, including the deal he made that he can never be in Mila's life. Consequences for the horrible deeds he was responsible for. He'd shown her the five-inch scar near his rib cage where the S.H.I.E.L.D surgeons implanted the device to kill him should he ever go rogue again.

And yet as a damp breeze caressed her face, Daisy considered how Ward had finally found a cause beyond seeking misguided closure to follow. For the last half a year he'd taken every dirty look, every face-to-face angry confrontation, and every death threat with an quiet air of understanding. All were well-deserved from people who had every damn reason in the world to feel that way. Hell, she still wanted to punch him herself, and she had already shot him multiple times.

But the Ward of last night, apologetic and remorseful, had touched her deeply. Had awakened something inside her that she prayed she wasn't just wishing for. In Daisy's eyes this mission was so very personal, and would have been even if Inhumans weren't involved. Human trafficking and forced sex labor disgusted her on every level, so putting a bullet in the heads of everyone involved was the only justice they deserved.

Daisy knew she possessed a darker outlook on the 'real world'. Her current point of view had evolved over time, but she hadn't consciously intended to alter her opinion. Still, it would have been vastly naive to think working for S.H.I.E.L.D would have led her down any other path. She'd seen evil reasoned in many forms... for revenge sake... for madness... for hate... for greed and jealousy and the pursuit of power. Gone were the silly beliefs that being a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent was a life filled with grand adventures and excitement around every corner.

Some days she wasn't even sure if S.H.I.E.L.D. was even truly where she needed to be. Politics were involved more than Coulson could control. Power plays behind the scenes were spreading faster than she could keep up with. Her secrets now had secrets, all in the midst of a rising death toll and so much blood on her hands she couldn't wash it off anymore. And the reasons why were becoming so gray she scarcely looked at them to hard these days for fear she'd go blind... or see a truth she had denied to herself for far too long.

Daisy fought for freedom, justice, protection of the innocent and the equal rights to simply exist and live in peace. That wasn't S.H.I.E.L.D's mission statement, but her own personal one. The only one that helped her sleep at night.

So when they finally had Vladimir Volkoff where they wanted him there would be no collecting of evidence or witness protection for informants. They wouldn't bother exposing the Russian billionaire's crimes to the world-wide media. No, the following the international legal system, no trial preparations, no judge's ruling, or attorney arguments. No high-tech maximum security prison or extradition.

No, Daisy intended to make Vladimir suffer, force him to watch his empire come crashing down around him, and then bury him alive to die in an agonizingly horrible way. There would be no quick end to him. No easy way out. She would see to that.

But to accomplish her goal Daisy would need to get closer to Vladimir, and she knew what that might entail. She had felt his lustful gaze all over her again this morning during breakfast. His attraction was undeniable, and he knew she was Inhuman, though not the specifics of her abilities. That was another 'in' as well. She knew she would be in grave danger by subtly encouraging his sexual interest. By enticing his thoughts.

She held no allusions that he hadn't watched her and Ward last night. It was all in his eyes every single time he looked at her. Seducing him, fowl as the thought was, could be an option provided finding one of his Inner Circle to betray him didn't pan out.

Daisy was ready to go that far. Go to any lengths to save those girls lives and prevent their powers from being perverted. They were considered 'assets' to Vladimir. Might as well been cattle. Meat. Nothing more. Essentially a thing to be sold to the highest bidder.

Being capable and unrelenting in her quest to save those girls also allowed her to rationalize last night's incredible passion with Ward.

God, last night was... Daisy closed her eyes as the heated memories assaulted her. Yes, she'd had sex before, and good sex at that. But had never been fucked hard like Ward fucked her last night. Primal and possessive, as if he couldn't ever get enough of her. And she had never been so bold and intense in her own sexuality. So captured and held hostage in the moment, craving her lover like her next breath.

While far from a politically correct thought at this time, Daisy admitted sex with Lincoln had been good. And by good she meant like a good workout at the gym. Build up a sweat. Get physical. Draw out some tension. She got what she needed and was happy with her effort.

Fucking Ward was like a God-damn revelation!

Daisy wouldn't call it love making, although a devious inner whisper laughed at her refusal. Ward had always made her emotions roar intensely, but never before like last night. His personal epiphany and honesty. The pain, the vulnerability she'd never seen him exhibit before. The deep-seeded regret and self-loathing as he expressed that he absolutely knew what he had done and how devastating those actions were. How he accepted his punishment, and that everything from now going forward until he drew his last breath was about protecting and looking after his daughter.

All of it meant something to her. All of it evolved how she saw him. Their passion wasn't shocking in the least to her. She expected if they ever went 'there' it would be incredible. And it was. Yes, from a certain point of view she had betrayed Lincoln. But deep down she wasn't sure if there was ever a real future for them. They'd been more or less undefined for months now, and she wasn't exactly losing any sleep over the indecision. He wanted more than she had ever promised, and her heart did ache for what she just couldn't give to him no matter how good a man he was. But at the end of the day she just didn't feel it. Thankfully, she had never lied about where she was in whatever it was they were to each other.

"I miss you."

Blinking her eyes back open as a large double-decker tour-bus rolled by, Ward's voice suddenly broke through Daisy's internal dialogue. Standing before her with his arms crossed his chest while looking entirely to damn good in a black leather trench coat, grin deftly in place, he simply waited. A tiny nervous smile lifted her mouth. "I wasn't far away."

Taking a step forward, Ward sighed softly, ever serious. "You've been far away from me for a very long time."

The sheer depth of emotion that lived in his voice left no way for her to misinterpret what he truly meant as she gave a small nod, and then he fell in step with him as they began walking across the street. They moved down a long path outside the massive Moscow Kremlin Armory Museum, rounding towards the broad entrance up ahead.

A flock of white-winged Tern birds soared to the gray heavens above as light misty rain began to fall, ever threatening a greater downpour to come. Daisy felt this strange urge to take his hand in hers, or that he might make the first move. And since she needed to shove that bit of intimacy far away, she deftly changed the subject. "Blonde woman parked in a dark blue BMW roadster two-seater, three o'clock, texting on a Iphone."

"I made her ten minutes ago before you left the cafe," Ward replied as they walked together. "Two stocky guys with dark hair, nine o'clock, passing out fliers by the water fountain. One's got a smart-watch snapping photos of us."

Daisy was trained in how to observe without looking, ever mindful that they were being followed as soon as they left Vladimir's mansion. And would be for the duration of their trip. "I'm scrambling their cell phone signals," she smirked. "I like annoying stalkers, in case you didn't know."

Ward tried not to smile and failed badly. Such emotion this woman could effortlessly reveal in him. Being with her was like crawling out of the darkest void ever after having been without light for years. He simply could not control what she did to his heart. For the longest time her life alone was evidence that he had one at all. "The facial recognition data from the breakfast finished uploading to my personal cloud. It'll be encrypted and then bounced around a bit before it reaches HQ. Likely a few hours before we hear from anyone to be safe."

"My cloud server is prepping the cell phone updates, but that will take hours as well. Hopefully by nightfall we will have access to the Inner Circle and Vladimir's smart-phones."

"They likely use disposable dummies for the really sensitive organization business."

"Yeah, but not for friends, family if they have any, significant others or whores," she pointed out. "We were never going to get everything we needed from a text message or email. But the investigation will grow as we find out who is important to everyone involved."

Daisy was damn impressive in Ward's eyes. She was always thinking two steps ahead. "Let me guess, May's training?"

"And your own," she acknowledged wistfully, watching as he gave a small nod. "The sum total of my talents can't just be making things tremble."

"By the way, I like your code-name. Quake suits you." Making their way down the long, sparsely crowded street, Ward tried To imagine how that tiny annoying hacker he first met would become the very heart beating in his chest. It was practically unthinkable. And while it was true that Mila was the sun his world now revolved around, it was Daisy who meant the world to him. That he didn't deserve her at all was remarkably painful. "Looks like we have a few hours to kill."

Brushing a couple of errant strands of brown hair off her cheek, Daisy agreed, "Sounds good. Gives us a bit of time to tour the city. Look as normal as possible for as long as possible." They rounded the massive, multi-story museum that took up nearly two entire city blocks. Security officers and patrol cars were ever present around them, but not so intrusive for the average tourist. She greatly admired the beautiful Russian architecture and history of the Kremlin. It was truly a sight to behold, and made her wish that they could have toured this place under different circumstances.

And then she noticed Ward's faraway expression. Edging closer to him, she gave a little nudge of her elbow to his side, drawing his attention. "What's on your mind?"

Hands now tucked in his coat pockets, Ward looked at her and gave a small shrug. "Lots of things."

"Care to share?"

"Might make you feel uncomfortable."

"After last night, I'm not sure that's possible anymore."

Having her so near was nearly unbearable to his senses. As his need to touch her won out, Ward slipped his arm around hers, effecting looping them as he drew her closer. She was more then willing, slowing her steps as they walked together. And all he wanted in the world was to bury his face in her hair and never let her go. He bent to her ear, "I think you're spectacular."

Damn that little bubble of glee in her heart. "In bed or just overall?" she teased while smiling.

"In every way possible," Ward quietly answered her, leading them through a thick group of people looking through brochures and snapping photos. "I can't stop thinking about last night," he calmly admitted.

It was her turn to need distance, fearing the faint blush tinging her cheeks. Fearing what secrets her eyes might reveal that her heart wasn't quite ready to admit yet. Her low tone of voice matched his own. "Neither can I."

Ward said nothing, simply enjoying her company, and that last night affected her as much as it did him. "I almost want to tell you that I am ruined for all women after you, but that would make no sense."

Daisy almost wanted to say there shouldn't be any more women for him after her, but that made even less sense. So she held her peace, a bit uncertain and allot afraid of feeling so much for him already. That made her declaration all the more bold. "I want to believe in you again."

Something in his chest warmed at her words. Thawed after so very long. "It'll take a long time."

"I'm not so sure..." Daisy trailed off thoughtfully, the meaning blurred for her as much for him. "You've hurt so many people, Ward, All I got at the end of the day was a severely broken heart, but others..." She halted their progress, turning to face him. But he faced her head-on, invading her personal space. "I believe that as long as you are alive you can change. You can turn your life around. But it'll be the hardest thing you'll ever do, and no one owes you their forgiveness. They give it or they don't, and they own that. There will be some who will never forgive you even if you spend the rest of your life trying to redeem yourself."

"So be it," Ward declared, having made peace with this. "I'll never forgive myself entirely. But I have to try and make something more of my life than drowning in revenge and selfishness." He paused for a moment, just gazing at her beautiful face. Just wishing he were a better man for her. "I don't need the world to forgive me." And then he added, "But I am going to fight like crazy to earn yours."

It's what she both wanted to hear, needed to hear, and dreaded to hear. Having him so close just tore her up inside. "It can't all be about me and Mila. There has to be something inside you that understands right from wrong, however much gray muddles the picture these days."

"You're my moral compass," Ward had the nerve to grin evilly, which made her chuckle a little. And then he softly caressed the side of her face. the pad of his thumb brushing her her damp skin. She didn't mean to lean into his touch like a lover, but did anyway. "These day before I do anything I think to myself 'What would Daisy do' and then I do that rather than 'What would Ward do', which usually involved a gun." Her soft laughter pried open his heart, her smile so beautiful he would love to be solely responsible for it for the rest of his life.

Unconsciously, Ward drew Daisy to his chest, wrapping his strong arms around her slender waist. Bending to her ear, his breath warmed the shell as he whispered, "Can I at least kill your boyfriend?"

Daisy did not want her smile to beam at his dark humor. But beam it did. Still, she didn't give an inch. "Why ever would you want to kill any boyfriend of mine?"

She was playing word games like a pro. Deciphering her was as much fun as it was difficult. "Maybe I'm just possessive."

"Because you're holding me so tight in your arms and looking at me like I'm birthday cake?"

"Well," he whispered once more, "You do taste delicious."

Those four words made her pussy wet that very second, and then his mouth crashed down on hers as she met him with equal force - arms locking around his neck, pulling herself to him.

Right there on the street Ward and Daisy kissed in the rain with such intensely erotic passion they momentarily forgot where they were, lost in each other. This was such a deeply satisfying moment between them, honest at long last. Only after a few minutes of truly soulful kissing did they parted on the wing tips of a gasp, their hearts racing, just holding onto each other.

Tensing, Ward quietly swore under his breath. "They are going to know I have feelings for you. I won't be able to play the sex-only or bodyguard card."

"Roundabout way to admit you have feelings for me, Ward," Daisy playfully replied.

Yeah, he hadn't considered that as he was still reeling from her kiss. As he stared into her eyes the truth was there, as always. "You already knew."

Her reply was so quiet, barely louder than a breeze, "...yes."

She was obviously battling her own feelings for him, and no way was he going to push her for anything. Ward swallowed through a tight throat, and then exhaled deeply. The noise of nearby street traffic pulled him back to the business at hand. He removed his smart-phone from his jacket pocket and pretended to check an email before placing it back in. "Signal scanners seem to be working fine. They'll hear nothing but static if they're trying to listen to our conversation."

And in the mean time her nipples were still tingling from their kiss. But she had questions she had always been meaning to ask. "Were you in love with Kara?"

Ward hadn't expected that, but didn't miss a beat. "I did love her, but not in anything resembling a healthy way. And no, I was never in love with her. But she meant something to me. We were both lost and leaning on each other... She was very special. And I do miss her from time to time."

Daisy angled them beneath a bus alcove to escape the returning rain as it picked up in intensity, nearly soaking them. As they huddled close for warmth she felt his eyes warm all over her glistening face. Enjoyed the solid feel of his warm body pressed to hers. "And I'm not jealous by the way," she chuckled lightly.

Even if he thought she might have been just a little, he wouldn't bring it up. "You would have nothing to be jealous of. She wasn't you." Ward took her small hands in his, warming them as he spoke quietly to her. "And its only ever been you."

Daisy bowed her head, her heart so conflicted over what to feel for this complex man. But when her eyes met his she grabbed the collar of his coat, drug him down, and captured his mouth in a daring kiss. Ward was a powerful drug she was now addicted too, and all that was undefined between them vanished for a time.

Ward kissed her back deeply, passionately, holding her firmly to his chest. He was sure she felt his heart racing. She tasted of mocha cappuccino and that raisin danish she had not long ago. Delicious. Sweet. His tongue lapped at the seam of her mouth and then was granted entrance, tangling wetly with her own. He was so fucking hard and he knew she felt it.

With his forehead pressed against hers as their kiss parted, he panted in a quiet tone, "What now?"

She replied huskily, slipping a hand between them, her palm ghosting over her thick erection. "Call our chauffeur."

 **Black 2015 Mercedes Sprinter 3500 (9900 GVW)Series Extended Bluetec Diesel Limousine Driving on the 80 mile ring road Moskovskaya Koltsevaya Avtomobilnaya Doroga (Moscow Automobile Ring Road)**  
 **Saturday, October 4th, 2016 - 12:55 PM Moscow, Russia, 103073**

"How much gas do we have?"

Mikhail, the fifty-four year old heavily-bearded driver assigned to Grant Ward for the duration of his stay in Moscow swallowed deep in the back of his throat, ever aware he was chauffeuring the violently unpredictable Head of Hydra. And he knew enough about Hydra to take Mr. Ward's orders without question. Having just picked him and his companion up suddenly after assuming they would be touring the museum for the next couple of hours, he felt his heart racing with fear. "A full tank, sir."

"Then drive until I tell you to... Jesus," Ward's breathing trailed off as surely as his words when he caught sight of Daisy undressing in the far backseat of the limousine. Her lacy white thong simply decimated his train of thought, his cock pulsing in his slacks. And when she laid back on the leather seat, seductively spread her legs and began slicking her middle finger up and down her pussy he just about lost his mind. "Drive until further notice and do not disturb us. And in case you're wondering, your life does depend on it."

"As... as you wish, sir," Mikhail stuttered ever so as he pulled onto a one-way street past a security checkpoint. A barrage of rain pelted the windshield as he engaged the wipers, entering traffic while keeping his eyes focused on the wet road ahead.

Muting the intercom, Ward held the front-seat dividing windows button until it was locked shut, their privacy secured. At least from the driver, he surmised. And he had never been more thankful for tinted windows as the heaven before him wasn't for anyone else's enjoyment. "Starting without me?"

"Shhhh..." Daisy raised her finger and pressed it to her mouth, giving it a lazy little lick to taste herself. Feeling reckless and erotic, she slowly trailed it back down her body once more, and then stroked her bare sex while staring directly into his eyes, tempting him. The air around them was supercharged with pure heat as they held each others gaze.

The leader of the Inhumans absolutely loved the possessive lust she owned in him. The intense expression he wore that was all her fault. Liquid warmth pooled between her legs, swelling tension in the core of her belly as she caressed slow circles over her clit while he watched. The desperate hunger written all over his face amplified her own, sending warm shivers of sensation down her spine.

If this visceral connection between them was as insane and doomed as Daisy feared then she made peace with the insanity and pain to come. She wanted him right now because her body and heart demanded it. Could settle for no less than all of him. And if she was wrong in the end then the mistake would be all her own.

But she hoped to God she was right about Ward. More than she had ever hoped before.

"You are so damn beautiful," Ward declared in a quiet tone of reverence.

Daisy felt soft and feminine under his heated appraisal. Lightheaded with desire. Wanted. So very wanted her nipples peaked at his rapt attention. His obvious lust over her nude form... over what she was doing... gently tugging at her bottom lip with her teeth while stroking her sex for his viewing pleasure and her own. She felt the purest freedom and sheer thirst to tempt him with such passion. To push him. To provoke him. And she fucking reveled in the control she owned because she knew he wanted her more than anything in the world. Her lips curled into a predatory snarl, her voice warm honey sweet. "Want a taste?"

Ever a man with a razor sharp tongue capable of knifing his point of view into any situation, Ward was speechless. His mouth went dry, craving her on the tip of his tongue. His vision filled with her deliciously erotic pose as her finger swirled over her clit. His cock throbbed with the raw need, thoroughly focused on that beautiful glistening rose between her spread thighs. "Yes," he breathed.

"You're overdressed. Lose the clothes," she panted softly, her head arched back. Nearly drunk with lust as she watched him undress, revealing all that toned muscle and attitude... that thick cock she was already far to infatuated with. Her voice barely above a whisper, "I'm so wet for you, Ward."

With a rumble of thunder rattling the windows as the limousine picked up speed on the highway, Ward erased the distance between them in the blink of an eye, covering her body with his own. And then her lush mouth with a powerfully possessive kiss, wearing off her lip gloss. His hands framed her lovely face, while her nails dug into his shoulders, drawing him closer. His strong body pressed her down onto the wide heated leather seat, loving the luxury of the way they reclined almost fully.

Combing her fingers through his short black hair, Daisy gave his tongue a particularly long, slow suck that made him groan loudly. His response was to press his body down onto hers, pinning her beneath him, the ridge of his hard cock gliding deliciously over her sex, slicking his length in her arousal. Her hips were grinding against him, creating sensation, the intoxicating friction they both craved. He was panting hot in her mouth, lips sucking passionately at hers.

"Skye?" came a husky moan warming over her lips, and as their eyes locked Daisy knew what he was asking in case they were being watched. And since Vladimir provided the transportation for their stay, it was highly possible that was the case.

"Your Skye," Daisy knowingly replied with a wet little lick of his bottom lip, loving the way his jaw tensed. She observed the decadence of his eyes darkening, and a seconds worth of... something else... something elusive came over his face before he captured her once more and all was forgotten. Her tongue caressed the roof of his mouth, her soul sick with longing for this man.

What bonded them together was as invigorating as a blood transfusion. They both felt it. They were both scared of it. And completely unable to resist it.

As the sounds of droplets pelting the limo's roof, Ward lifted his mouth from hers almost painfully. He swore he could kiss her forever, and no woman had never affected him so intensely before. For the longest time his complex feelings for her were like following the instructions on the back of a pill bottle. Swear to yourself that you don't care about her three times a day and ignore the lie gnawing at your gut.

But here and now, as he admired the exquisite beauty of her Asian and American heritage, there was no way that he could deny she owned his soul. Being around her for half a year now amidst the distrust and dire apprehension of the Coulson's entire team had only revealed her new-found toughness and leadership qualities as he'd watched her handle her team and everything S.H.I.E.L.D threw her way. Cataloged her inner pit-bull, her immense skill as a agent and the confidence that came along with it. He didn't feel the depth of this emotion simply because she was so incredibly alluring. No, she was so fucking capable, and that turned him on even more.

"You're quiet," she breathed softly over his lips. "Did I lose you?"

"Never," Ward replied and knew she was aware of his double meaning. His hand tenderly caressed the side of her cheek, and when she pressed a soft kiss to his palm he was crushed by that simple affection. Although he felt like he now owned the trademark on these words, he again whispered to her, "I'm deeply sorry for hurting you and the people you care about."

"Good," Daisy pressed a small, loving kiss to the side of his mouth, her fingers gently skimming down his lean hips. "Now do better," she pressed another slow kiss, and then another longer one that couldn't hide the depth of her feelings. "Prove to me who you are today, not who you used to be. And just take it one day at a time."

Actions spoke louder than words, so Ward framed her slender hips with his hands, loving the little tremble his touch rippled over her soft skin. He began kissing his way down the regal column of her throat, and then firmly cupped a breast. His head dipped as he inhaled the tip in his mouth, sucking hard. She trembled beneath him, whimpering her approval. His tongue left a trail of warm moisture across her cleavage until her captured the other nipple, drawing deeply from the tip.

"Just like that, baby," Daisy hissed, her eyes rolled back as his tongue swirled round and round her nipple before suckling warmly. Raking the sensitive peaks with the sharp edges of his teeth before sucking hard once more. Tendrils of pleasure shot through her, curling her toes as his soft mouth kissed down her ribs and over her stomach. When his tongue dipped into her naval she opened her eyes and found him staring up at her, greedily capturing her every response to memory. That savagely predatory glare of his melted her core. Her voice was so low and seductive when she teased, "You're going to spoil a girl if you keep making me cum with your tongue."

"You deserve to be spoiled, Skye," Ward practically growled as parted her legs and settled between them. Loving the raw, uninhabited anticipation written all over her beautiful face. His nostrils flared at the aroused scent of her, the slick sweetness of her mound. Unable to resist he brushed a dozen of open-mouth kisses along her inner thigh, edging ever closer to that beautiful rose. "Mine!" he groaned before giving her pussy a wickedly long, soft lick from her glistening entrance to her clit. "Skye you taste so fucking good," his praise warmed over her sex as his tongue lashed in long strokes.

"Fuck, ohGod... Ward," Daisy whispered his name in reverence, nearly twisting on the seat, throwing her head back in a wordless cry. Her right hand suddenly filled with the back of his head as he was immersed in devouring her. Lapping her softly, taking his time to lash and nibble until her hips were grinding into his face, begging him to feast on her. Begging him to keep sucking her pussy... so wet her juices trickled down his chin, the lustful gasps coming from between her thighs evidence of his need for her. "OhmyGod... Ward, fuck, don't stop!"

The pain of her nails digging into his scalp paled in comparison to the exotic taste of her and the seductive way her thigh muscles quivered around his head. Reaching down, he cupped her gorgeous ass with his hands, drawing her legs up onto his shoulders, firmly squeezing the rounded cheeks. The beat inside him craved how sexually responsive she was. Wanton. As addicted as he was to being with her. As the pouring rain outside pelted the limousine in a non-stop barrage he pushed his tongue inside her, swirling round and round until the husky sound of his name centered in the middle of her moans. The grinding her her hips into his face left his cock throbbing in jealousy. "Can't get enough of you... Wanted you forever... fucking love sucking your pussy!"

Ward's crude words only coiled the tension hotter growing in her belly, amplified by the noisy wet smacking sounds of him sucking her clit. Of his desperate lust for her climax. Her breath caught in her throat, with one hand guiding the back of his head and the other clutching frantically at a nearby armrest.

"Ward!" his name roared in a heated gasp. Her hips arched violently, jerking as she watched his relentless worship between her thighs. All at once she shattered, cumming so hard, jerking nearly sideways as pleasurable contractions roared through her. "Ward... fuck, Ward!"

His gaze rising from the heaven of her juicy core, Ward drank in the vision of her mouth agape in ecstasy. Her face was twisted into a grimace of ecstasy more beautiful than anything he'd ever seen before. The impassioned recitation of his name was so intoxicating to hear he just had to hear it again.

Quickly he thrust two fingers deep inside her the tight depths of her, pumping hard while lashing her clit wetly with the flat of his tongue. The vibrant heat of her clenching rhythmically around him.

"Yes... ohmygodyes!" Daisy's back arched sharply, barely recovered from one violent climax before another began building so fast and hot she wasn't sure her body was even capable of enduring it so soon. And then it happened without warning, her heart and body in perfect tandem with his fingers fucking her deep and fast as she came a second time. Rocking her hips towards his sucking mouth, crying out loudly, eyes shut, shaking over the seat from the intensity of it all.

When her hand finally shoved him away, sore jaw aside, Ward had never felt more powerful or aroused in all his life. He sat back on his heels, loving the way Daisy had curled into a soft little feminine ball of trembling perfection. Jesus, how'd he ever messed up his life so bad that he almost lost her forever. This incredible woman was worth bulldozing through all his fucked up issues and past to be what she deserved. And then hope like hell in the end he was what she chose. Because after two short days he already knew she was it for him.

"I... I want to give whatever woman who showed you how to do that a million dollar gift card."

Smirking wildly, Ward slowly rolled his tongue over his bottom lip, tasting her orgasm while she watched the whole damn thing with bright, unblinking eyes. "You were the architect of my passion," he noted seductively. "No other woman had anything to do with it."

That made Daisy smile, but it was sight of his long, hard cock that had her blood boil beneath her skin. As the limo swayed lanes it was time to rock his world, and damn it all, she intended to wreck any memory he had of any other woman. "Sit up. Now."

"So bossy," Ward teased while doing as she ordered, now up on the seat. He loved the way she stalked toward him and climbed in his lap like she belonged there.

"I'll show you bossy," Daisy whispered evilly before pressing her mouth to his in a crushing kiss so full of passion and lust. Sex tousled hair framed her lovely face as she rose onto her knees, her eyes daring his with an intense dark promise. She slipped an arm between them, taking hold of what she felt belonged to her, now guiding the head of his cock to her entrance. She bent to his ear, her breath fanning hotly over the shell, her tone low and sexy, "A few minutes ago I heard you growl the word 'Mine'. Consider this my reply."

Daisy rose up until just the head of his cock was nearly inside her, and then sank down hard on his lap, sheathing him in the juicy heat of her sex. The hot tension of being so full of him, her inner muscles clenching around the hard length of his shaft was incredible. When she rocked back ever so, taking that last hard inch until her backside rested on his lap, she felt him pulsing inside her. Felt the muscles in his legs tensing beneath her. Their foreheads pressed together, inhaling each others air as her hips began to circle in an excruciatingly erotic grind.

The seductive feel of her weight on his lap, her gorgeous ass resting over his upper thighs was beyond intoxicating. Ward had long ago accepted he deserved no joy in this world for a million well-deserved reasons, but with Daisy he had no choice in the matter. She awakened something in his soul and breathed new life into him with every second he spent with her. The glory of watching her as she eased down so slowly, her bottom lip trembling, stretching tightly around his hard length robbed him of the will to resist the deep feelings he had for her. Every crack in the road and every lane change rocked her over his lap, forcing his cock deeper in a way that made them both grunt passionately. "You feel so good, Skye," he sighed while watching her hypnotic rise and fall as she sank him deep inside her. The raw, sexual expression she wore, all wincing passionate concentration as she rode his cock. "Don't ever stop... fuck, you feel so good... can't get enough of you, Skye!"

"Take it... take me," Daisy panted barely above the storms bluster outside, their body language singing in unison as they moved as one. She squeezed tightly around him when his hands filled with her ass, drawing her down onto his lap as he thrust upward. Her slick opening sliding up and down his cock, her erect nipples ghosting sensation over his chest as she rode on his lap, hands clutching his shoulders. "Mine!"

"God yes!"

Ward's eyes brimmed with need at every grinding hitch of her hips. He was thick and so hard, felt buried in her up to her throat. Felt so good she had never been so wet for a man. Her body's natural rhythm so in tune with his, her finger nails digging into his back as pleasurable shivers swept over her.

"Skye," he chanted in a hoarse grunt, rocking her on his lap, her arms wrapped around his neck. Daisy rode him at a steady gallop, moaning into his ear, her breasts bouncing gently in front of him. "Skye," escaped in a low moan as his mouth captured a her nipple, swirling his tongue wetly around the tip before sucking on it deeply.

For the longest time the only sounds in the limousine were their sensual sighs... their passionate grunts... the carnal lullaby of flesh slapping together... of soft cries and and grinding hips and the steady rain falling endlessly as Daisy and Ward fucked.

Daisy knew Ward didn't care about the marks he was making as he sucked hungrily at her throat. She didn't care either, offering her neck for his praise, lost in how good it felt to have all of him. She was losing herself in the incredible pleasure of this man, her tight inner muscles clutching around his cock on every long glide down. Her body slithered like a snake, rolling over him, loving the way his voice rose in warning. He was so close, tensing beneath her, thrusting erratically. She began fucking her body against his in frantic, erotic thrusts. "Cum inside me, Ward... please cum inside me..."

There was nothing about her Ward did not love as her naughty words struck a powerful nerve he didn't even know he had. His mouth opened in a silent wail of overwhelming pleasure, erupting in the most gratifying wet bursts inside her. With her ass in his hands he drove up into her with hard, deep thrusts. And then he felt her thrust him all the way inside her, slamming down on him one last time as the intensity of her own climax thundered threw her, milking around his cock, sucking hard, sucking every drop of seed he had to give, her body claiming it all.

There were no words... only shivers... gentle caresses... private sarcastic teases... small little kisses... trembles... awe... sweat... rain... fear... dread... love and this all encompassing yet unspoken knowledge that the complex feelings they shared weren't done yet.

Not by a long shot.

 **"Matryoshka Manor"**  
 **30,000 square foot, eleven bedroom mansion sitting on nine acres of wooded land.**  
 **Owned by billionaire Vladimir Volkoff.**  
 **5th floor suite Saturday, October 4th, 2016 - 11:45 PM Moscow region, Odintsovo area, Gorki-2**

Ever mindful of how undeserving he was given all he'd done, nonetheless on the fourth day of every month Grand Ward indulged himself this one deeply personal gift.

Seated at the small mahogany table in the corner of their master bedroom with his Microsoft Surface Pro 4, the Head of Hydra opened a hidden shortcut on the Windows 10 desktop, and then made sure his internet connection was secure and encrypted. And as always the sheer depth of emotional anticipation that slammed into his chest was nearly overwhelming.

The shortcut logged him into one of his many fake social media user accounts so that he could access Giselle Kales private Facebook page. The fact that he was Cyber-stalking aside, her cover picture garnered his absolute attention immediately. The beautiful photo of his seven year-old daughter Mila took his breath away, her warm brown eyes and innocent smile so reminiscent of his mother. For anyone else that would have been a touching sentiment had he any fond memories at all of the cruel woman.

Nonetheless, Mila was simply luminous. She was holding a Great Dane puppy between her legs while seated on the back porch of their new two-story brick condo in Maryland. Her enthusiastic expression was one of pure joy at holding her pet and new best friend. Her curly dark hair barely kissed the back of her neck, still growing back after the bone-marrow transplant and a successful round of chemo as her cancer was now in full remission.

Unable to do anything more than stare at his little girl, that photo breathed new life into Ward. That she was alive, getting stronger, and appeared so happy and at ease soothed a part of him he long thought was dead. He stared at the picture, committing every single detail to memory for the long days and lonely nights of fatherhood that was denied him. Consequences of his action no doubt, and yet profoundly painful that he would never have the day-to-day responsibility of ensuring her childhood was far better than his own. Not even ten years old and having already battled cancer and chemo... her courage inspired him more than she would ever know.

After staring at the picture for a good ten minutes, basking in the healthier looking little girl before him, Ward ghosted through Giselle's posts in the last month. Something about her brother Joseph who had gotten his dream job at an art auction facility in New York, and a couple of ladies night selfies with her dearest friends all holding shot glasses and wild smiles. Another post highlighted Giselle's eight year anniversary at A.T.R. (Advanced Technology & Research Corp) as she seemed to truly be proud and passionate about her growing role there. But outside of a couple more fairly normal posts - memes, YouTube videos, and random stuff the vast majority of what she shared was about Mila.

She talked about how she was so much more grateful and mindful about life and how truly precious it was after going through Mila's diagnosis, surgery, treatment, and subsequent recovery. She posted about good days and bad ones as the long road of recovery wasn't easy. She talked about how lucky they were to catch Mila's illness early, and the windfall of good fortune at finding a matching donor and the sweepstakes she won that paid off so many hospital bills. She even spoke about donating and fund raising for Acute Myelogeneous Leukemia research to give back and continue the fight for a cure.

Ward's opinion of Giselle could be summed up simply as she was an incredibly strong woman and a great single mother. She was lovely and driven, relentlessly devoted to their daughter and normal. Happily normal despite it all. She was a mom, a career professional and a lover of karaoke. Surrounded by a loving, devastatingly supportive family who were all completely devoted to Mila.

There was no bitterness or chaos to her life. No violence. No falsehood. Selfishness did not exist there. Only the daily grind of work, traffic, Mila's anti-rejection drugs, and weekly check-ups. The very real heart-stopping fear of Mila's leukemia ever returning and her never-ending education of the disease. She didn't have time to bitch and moan about the bad hand life dealt her cause she was to busy kicking its ass. She fucking had too. No excuses. Mila came first and everything he could gather about her life screamed that.

Ward truly felt Giselle was worth her weight in gold, and had deserved far, far better than he had given her. She'd been a means to an end, far from the first, but certainly the most important mistake he'd ever made. As far as she knew he was the jerk who swept into town, swept her off her feet, and then disappeared in the wind after a night of passion. A true piece of garbage that she couldn't track down, and he knew she'd tried when Mila was first diagnosed. All that he could do to try and make this right was watch over her and Mila from afar and be a silent protector in their lives.

Ward sat back heavily in his chair, exhaling a deep sigh. Some days the weight of the mean life he'd lived was nearly overwhelming. As if the journey back to just giving a damn was an impossible mission. But he was up for the challenge simply because Mila needed to know her father loved her some day. And that love for her forced him to be a better man.

As always, he thought of saving the photos of Mila, but he quietly closed the link and shut down his tablet to resist the strong temptation. The more pictures of Mila he looked at, the more he'd entertain thoughts he shouldn't. And if data he owned were ever compromised he could bring danger to her. There were dozens of organizations worldwide that would gladly kill anyone Grand Ward cared for to control or get revenge on him. That was the world he called home.

The sick, twisted world that crafted him into a instrument of misguided evil. He'd gone willingly. Blame and blood were all on his hands, soaked clean through to the bone.

Seated with a foot anxiously tapping the floor, Ward was pleased that Mila had her champion and was on the long road to recovery. She wasn't completely out of the woods, but all her doctors reports were positive and hopeful thus far. He would watch over her for the rest of her life, but it killed him how much he knew he'd miss and how it would be many years from now if ever he'd get the opportunity to explain to her who he was. Why he wasn't there. Why he'd ruined his life to a degree that he could not be in hers. And hope that she wouldn't hate him entirely.

In Ward's eyes family was a six-letter word no different than murder, and with not much difference in overall meaning. Anything positive or hopeful about family was lost on him. Long forgotten and buried in the horrors he prayed Mila would never know. He loved how she had never seen violence from a parent. Didn't know rage and torture from a loved one. Cruelty. Bitterness. Mean, ugly behavior unfit for a child to witness. That hopefully even when bad things happened to her as they did everyone she didn't commit even worse acts in some sense of misguided retaliation.

Ward knew there was so little he could offer Mila even if he were in her life. What could he help instill in her about her self-esteem when he hated himself on the best of days? What gentleness could he pass on when he'd been given and himself shown so little? How could he convey the importance of honesty and loyalty when his life was a tragedy of lies and deceit?

No tears wet his eyes, and yet he was gripped in soul-wrenching sorrow that he would never know even the gentle weight of Mila in his arms, her head resting over his shoulder as he held her close. The phantom caress of her hand over his face... being called Daddy.

He never argued the reality that he deserved this punishment and more for all the misery he'd caused. There were debts he owed and these were the consequences of his actions.

All Ward could do now was take it one day at a time moving forward. Just using that toothpick to chop away at the mountain of bad misery he'd done in order to make a small pile of good deeds. The one and only gift he could give Mila someday.

Though still very much a work in progress, Ward felt a sense that at least he was moving in the right direction. That there was some good he had to offer to the world. That his life truly had meaning now.

And then there was Daisy.

Seated Indian-style on their huge bed, clad in a dark Star Wars wife-beater and black panties, barefoot, her dark locks in a messy ponytail, she was so damn sexy he could barely stand it. So close he could reach her in two long strides, cover her body with his, and take her. She was typing furiously on her Mac, but seemed withdrawn and clearly frustrated. That she was his lover, however she defined the term, meant he could care about her. He could try and foster healthier relationships by giving a damn, and with her he wanted that more than anything. It mattered that she received his very best from now on. "What's got you in a bad way?"

It took a moment to break through the haze of her inner thoughts, but Daisy suddenly looked up the laptop, her expression tense. She gave her arms a long stretch above her head, enjoying the slight pop. Closing her Mac, she tossed it aside on the bed as if she couldn't get far enough away from it. "I'm the most evil bitch ever."

Standing from the desk clad only in plaid pajama pants, Ward yawned lightly. He spared a glance at the tablet they used to disable any listening devices implanted in their bedroom to static, and once he was sure it was online he turned his full attention to her. "That's a pretty harsh assessment."

Daisy gave a careless shrug, and then grabbed a pillow to hold to her chest just to have something in her hands. "Here's the sitch. I'm writing a 'Dear John' letter to my kinda-sorta boyfriend to break up our not-completely official relationship via email. So yeah, that does make me the most evil bitch ever."

Surprise colored Ward's face, but he held his peace. He knew to tread lightly. "You're not the most evil bitch ever. You just don't want to waste his time anymore. And there's something noble about that."

Daisy snorted, "Was it noble the way we've been fucking the last two day's, cause I kinda bet Lincoln wouldn't see it that way," sarcasm dripped from every single word she said.

"Calling him your kinda-sorta boyfriend and that you have a not-completely official relationship sounds far to High-School Musical-like to me."

Daisy blinked. Had she heard him right? "What in the world would you know about High School Musical?"

Her shock was cute. "It was on the TV in the hotel Kara and I were in after you shot me multiple times. She was stitching me up and I was trying to ignore the searing pain by staring at the TV. It was on so I watched it. And I've never come closer to suicide in my entire life than watching that film."

That he'd seen it at all was in some small way charming to Daisy, never-mind the circumstances surrounding it that she'd emptied her gun in his chest. Her gaze rose to meet his. "Lincoln deserves better than a 'Dear John' email."

Ward crossed his arms over his bare chest, sending a pointed glare her way. "Then why do it right now?"

"Because I just don't..." Daisy said a bit too quickly, but trailed off with no small amount of held tongue. There was allot she was still processing and it felt far to close to the surface right now. "No matter how good things were with me and Lincoln, I honestly never fell in love with him. And I never felt like that was going to happen, which also makes me suck cause I kept right on sort of dating him."

Daisy continued, "Sleeping with him felt like a natural progression of things. You talk, laugh, share some of your stuff, hear some of the other person's stuff, date, share a meal, watch a movie, flirt, see if there's an attraction, and then bone."

"I do love your choice of words," Ward snickered at her, now standing at the foot of the bed as if silently asking for permission to join her.

"You just liked the way I said the word 'bone'," she smiled right back, and with a head tilt beckoned him closer. And like that he was on the move.

"Nah, I just like you."

Ward was being cheeky and Daisy kind of found it adorable. She didn't blush, but only due to the effort she put in to quell that sort of unwanted reaction. "In hindsight I was just hoping that adding sex to the relationship equation would jump start my feelings. And yes, I know how dumb that sounds."

"So what number would you give him?" he challenged playfully.

"Excuse me?"

"On a scale of one to ten, in the sack, what number would you give Lincoln?"

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a complete dick?"

"Just about every woman that I have ever come into contact with. And normally 'dick' is the nicer of descriptions I have received. Now answer the question."

Daisy thought it over, knew that she should leave this one alone, but decided to answer just to piss him off. "10."

That smart mouth of hers would be the death of him, if only he didn't find it so irresistible. "Liar. That's my number. Try again."

"You want me to shoot you again, don't you?"

"Skye..."

"What was Kara's number?" Daisy challenged back at him.

"Not the perfect score you have."

Ward's smirk was pure seduction, so much so she wanted to kiss it right off his handsome face. Or punch it off. With him she was never quite sure. "All jokes aside, Lincoln is a nice guy, really. And I'm just a normal girl with the same urges and needs as anyone else, only I have super powers and I'm a secret spy agent." She shrugged. "I wanted some so I got some."

Ward gave a small nod, jaw tensing. "You can skip over the details."

He wasn't hiding that little bit of jealousy in the slightest. She tucked that bit of knowledge in her mental back pocket for another day. "And now I'm sure whatever my future holds it won't be with him. So rather than wait any longer I'm going to end it now and then when I see him let him say whatever he needs to say to my face so he can't get closure. But there's no good way to cut it, I'm a evil bitch for the way I'm doing this."

Putting away any teasing, Ward turned serious. "There are no perfect people."

"No, but there are good people and bad people. And I try to be on the good side as much as I can. But I'm going to break his heart because I know he loves me and he just wanted a chance. But I just don't feel the same way, so I have to tell him and end it now. Waiting will only make it worse. And I know this is the right thing to do because I'm not conflicted over us ending in the least."

Ward moved closer to her, still a bit in the dark about the timing of this. "Again, why now?"

"Because of you."

Her expression didn't waver, nor did she look away. Faced him head-on. Her declaration was powerful and profound. Tender. Ward wanted to remain cool and aloof, but he cared for her so deeply. Far more than even that if he were honest with himself. He knew he didn't deserve hope, but there it was, setting up residence in his chest like it belonged there. And he had never felt more unworthy. "I wish I knew the right thing to say."

Shutting her eyes briefly, Daisy sighed, "I wish I understood exactly what I meant."

Ward sat just across from her, letting her lead the way. He gave her just enough space. "I'm a mess. You know that better than anyone else on the planet."

"You're trying, and that's something I believe in."

Any space left in his heart not filled by Mila, Daisy owned completely. God, he was so gone for this woman. Which was why it was time to reveal something to her he hadn't told her yet. "I've been seeing a Psychologist once a week for the last four and a half months. Her name is Dr. Jennifer Collins. She's located in upstate New York and has been helping me make sense of everything that happened in my childhood and everything I did after that." He paused to gauge the impact of his revelation, collecting himself. "Its not easy and some days I can't make sense of why I'm even going, but it feels like I need this. And I just wanted you to know about it."

"Thank you." Daisy still struggled with this new vulnerable side of him. "I think its a very good idea. Honestly, I've been thinking of seeing one as well. Its been a rough year for me too."

"Why?"

"Life. S.H.E.I.L.D. The Inhumans. Everything I've seen and done. The people I've killed," she laughed darkly. "My parents. Lincoln. You... A stressful day for a regular person might be juggling work, family and bad traffic. For me its being shot at, killing people, not sleeping in days, and trying to figure out who I can trust and who I shouldn't. It takes it's heavy toll."

"That it does."

They were silent for a long time, perhaps sensing this subtle shift in their partnership, which was becoming so much more than that. They 'got' each other, and had never been on more equal terms than right at this very moment.

And then Ward threw down the gauntlet. "One percent."

"What?" Daisy questioned, her eyes narrowed.

"I'd take a one percent chance to win you back," he expressed in a slightly broken voice. He felt as though he'd spent a lifetime not ever stepping up to the plate, but for her he wanted to make sure she knew where he stood. "I don't have any expectations. I don't want what you can't give. And I'm still figuring out my own life. But if there's one thing I'm sure of, its that I want you in it."

All that Daisy could do was stare. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "It's been two days, barely."

"I've survived three years without you, barely."

This was insane! But she'd made peace with how much insanity she could stand in recent years. And she couldn't deny this living, breathing force of nature she felt for him. The timing was all wrong, but damn was her heart making a case that it just didn't care. She pointed a finger at him. "If, and I do mean if, that one percent ever came into play it would, possibly, maybe, be after this mission."

"I'll take it."

Ward was so sure of himself Daisy was almost jealous. Her heart was pounding as the reality of even entertaining this... Oh my God, she wasn't even sure if there was a word for it. All she knew was that Ward was under her skin. Ward still owned a piece of her heart. Ward was the man she'd hated for the longest time, and was now cheering for, wanting to believe so badly in this new man because he was what she had always wanted. "One percent isn't allot. The odds aren't in your favor."

Ward wore a confident expression while leaning closer to her, but resisting the urge to reach for her. "Its better than zero. Means I got a fighting chance."

"Likely doomed."

Sitting back as he didn't want to push to hard, and he already knew he was pushing, he playfully pleaded with her, "Why don't we just disappear from S.H.E.I.L.D after we save the girls, stay here in Russia, and build a Disney theme Park in Chernobyl with Hydra money." The dear, sweet laughter that escaped her warmed his soul in a way he knew he'd never risk losing again. "I think that would be a wonderful investment."

"Yeah, bring your kids here and we'll make them glow, literally."

"You gotta admit, it would be one hell of a tourist attraction. Just imagine the headlines. From nuclear fallout to Mickey Mouse Land. You and me could run it and make millions."

Daisy arched a brow. "You and me?"

"Always."

Ward was flirting and Daisy knew it and wanted him because she'd always wanted him and now that she'd had him she wanted him even more. "So your plan for us is we retire from S.H.E.I.L.D and run Disney Land in Chernobyl?"

"Best I got on short notice."

"Sure you haven't done any crystal meth tonight?"

"Only thing I'm addicted to is you."

Sexy and cheesy and kinda sweet. They were so close and the intimacy of being near someone you craved was intoxicating. His bare chest was driving her crazy with heat. "Sounds like an insane plan," she smiled.

"The only part I really care about is you being with me."

"As your business partner? Fuck buddy? Gal-pal? Girlfriend? Or wife?"

"Yes."

Whatever was she going to do with this man, and why was she so happy just flirting with him? Why was she moving closer to him, erasing the distance between them. Why was she suddenly straddling low on his lap, sliding her arms around his neck, and then pressing her mouth to his as if she owned him?

Because she knew that she did.

Sharp, raw, need dug deep into Ward as he held her tightly, passionately kissing her lush mouth, simply enjoying the warm feel of her in his arms. Softly cupping the back of her head, the rhythmic back and forth sway they shared as she groaned into his mouth had his cock throbbing against her center. And when his free hand reached for her ass, Daisy pulled away while panting against his neck. The sensation made him growl, "No fair."

"We have work to do. A ton of it. Probably gotta pull an all-nighter just going over the data, and then formulating a game-plan on our next move."

"And what if I want to drag you beneath me," his teeth gently bit into the sensitive side of her neck as she rocked over his lap, "Tear your panties off," his hands squeezed her ass hard, his breath warm over her pulse, "And fuck you until you scream my name?"

"I'd say later," Daisy whispered softly over his lips, pressing a final kiss there. "So please think of the Golden Girls having a naked lesbian foursome in a well-lit shower so that my 'New Best Friend' calms down," she winked, "And then lets get back to work, OK."

When she slid off his lap he growled yet again, but knew she was right. Still didn't help his raging hard-on, but they had to save those girls and that came first. "So do I still have my one-percent?"

Opening her Mac up again, Daisy peered over the top, eyes wild with seduction. "Maybe its three percent now."

Ward had never been happier.

 **Elena Anisimova. Lot 48205 15-Unit Luxury Condominium Building 8th Floor - Suite 805 Sunday, October 5th, 2016 - 4:50 AM Moscow, Shabolovka Str. 23**

If there were one true skill Anastasia Annikov undeniably possessed, it was her viciously relentless drive.

Her origin story born in the horrors of extreme poverty in Tolyatti city, to a family considered critically poor. She surmised early on that her beauty, intelligence, cunning, and vicious determination were her greatest weapons against such financial oppression. She'd used all of them to fight her away out of the slums, blood in and blood out, for her family's sake. No apologies were made as she refused to accept a lesser life.

No matter the cost.

Her lover slept like the dead not far away, curled in the warm sheets of their bed. Night shadows played over the familiar outline of his body, casting a near ethereal vision before her. The scent of them still hung in the air, sheltering her in the quiet intimacy. Now if only she could find her own restful slumber. Less than likely, even post some vigorously intense sex a few short hours ago. Perhaps it was the peace that sleep provided after a long day that alluded her.

Peace seemed to belong to better people. Unaffected by the disease of soul-sick self-hatred. Anastasia did not know peace. She'd accepted it a long time ago. Exhaustion would visit eventually like an old friend calling after a long absence. It always did.

Anastasia's green eyes sparkled as she indulged the luxury panoramic night view of Moscow in all its majestic dark glory. From her eighth floor window sat before her the sprawling Academy of Sciences and the Moscow State University. Images she was all to familiar with, even as she secretly prayed her days of their close proximity were numbered.

Sipping from a steaming cup of Russian Caravan tea, her mind was ablaze as the city slept. The cold reality of such corruption infected in every corner of Moscow was accompanied by swells of honor, nobility, and great courage. A stark contrast, and ever will it be. Yet still surrounded by endless, aged corruption dating back hundreds of years.

And at long last she found herself unable to take it any more.

While nursing her tea, Anastasia considered her efforts today. She'd run every conceivable background check, legal and otherwise on Skye. Every connection she had, the most advanced facial recognition software available to the Kremlin's best had found nothing. She'd called in favors and discovered absolutely no clue to Skye's background or current status. Less than nothing. Not even a last name, or if Skye was even her real one.

HYDRA was an maniacal organization built on its limitless ability to thrive and control under any circumstance. Any year. Any global setting. Fear, intimidation, manipulation, and an absolute lack of restraint carried them over its near one-hundred year history. There was no government, no war, no economic growth or depression, no natural disaster or historic tragedy HYDRA was not involved in some way, shape, or form. Their ability to survive any global climate was staggering. Their reach extended to every government and criminal organization on the planet.

That was why Victor had been so adamant about not wanting to bring HYDRA into their Inhuman auction. One did not simply do business with HYDRA because eventually they found a way to own you. And even Vladimir Volkoff wasn't on their level, and she knew it.

Which was another reason why Anastasia was for once in complete agreement with Victor, loathe him though she did. HYDRA brought with it unwanted attention from entities like S.H.I.E.L.D and even the Avengers. Far greater threats than the C.I.A or U.N. as they answered to no one at the end of the day.

But it was Skye who intrigued Anastasia greatly, if dangerously. She just couldn't stop thinking about the enormously mysterious dark-haired woman HYDRA trusted as the bodyguard and fist of its Head. The harder she attempted to pull back the velvet curtain, the more she realized this Skye was a ghost. A phantom who was quite possibly in this day and technological age so far ahead of everyone in the identity protection realm that it swelled hope in her chest for the first time in years.

Her mind wandered back to where it all began.

The aggressive power and majesty of Vladimir Volkoff seduced Anastasia several years ago when she was little more than a struggling yet brilliant grad-student. Her poverty-stricken upbringing sparked the fire in her blood to excel no matter the cost. She was uncaring in her pursuit to succeed and destroy the bleak existence of her childhood. Even at the expense of the erosion of her soul.

At first she wasn't truly aware of the extent Vladimir's organization operated in. Perhaps naive, perhaps seeking a father-figure to believe in and deliver her, Anastasia dug her nails in deep and impressed the Russian billionaire with her uncanny ability to read people and sway their opinions. That he had never tried anything sexual with her, or forced her to service someone loyal to him, endeared her to his cause in some strangely profound way.

He had powerful politicians in his back-pocket' controlling the unions, the money, the airports, and the government itself. One couldn't do business in Russia without doing business with Vladimir Volkoff. To refuse is to court death.

The man some circles dubbed as "The End All" executed violent business practices that were easy for her to sleep with at night now that she was lying on Egyptian bed sheets and had access to obscene amounts of money. The kind of money that killed her old nightmares and gave security to her family. So she turned a blind eye to it all, and was was capable of convincing people to do almost anything with the right motivation. Would use any means to further her goals. Whatever your addiction; sex, gambling, drugs, fetishes, violence, she could extrapolate how best to abuse you.

Her IQ was genius level, but when you added a vastly clever mind and unrelenting drive to the mix Anastasia was formidable. An when Vladimir sent her out into the world to further his international interests, she became drunk on power and influence. On the bodyguards and private jets and the ability to make things happen. Vladimir believed in her, and gave her permission to act on his behalf. Showed her a level of trust didn't know existed.

And then she learned of the human trafficking side of their business. Of the millions of dollars of revenue generated monthly. Of the young girls taken from various third-world countries, sent and trained to be whores at brothels and casinos. Sold as fuck-toys to the depraved. Forced to seduce or assassinate. Sold to sick, perverted people craving innocence and power. Some taken as early as age fourteen years old.

Dozens of girls taken per month increased in numbers until she had to ignore it to remain sane.

The first night she learned of the millions Vladimir made from that vile industry she threw up the contents of her stomach for two straight days until she'd lost thirteen pounds, and came close to suicide due to the extreme guilt. But she was already two years in by that time, and her hands were so dirty there was no way to take it all back. No way to undo the horrors she was now a part of. So she shoved that dark knowledge far away from her thoughts, focused on her mother and two sisters... her remaining family to sustain her any humanity still within her.

But the years have been especially cruel to Anastasia. Try as she did to harden her heart completely, she's had to look away when girls were brought for Vladimir's approval or sexual interests. Turned a blind eye to their pleading, tear-streaked stares for help. Their begging cries as she walked the other way down the hall, their innocence lost.

The blood of their pain and suffering were on her hands. In her throat. She was drowning in it...

Anastasia often looked her a bedroom a mirror and felt dead inside. And when she finally couldn't take it anymore and tried to flee the organization, Vladimir had her youngest sister beaten to unconsciousness and left in a garbage dumpster. The threat of making her, as Vladimir put it, "An open orifice for as many lustful men as would have her until she begged for death or choked on their cum," sealed Anastasia's fate.

It was her choices that led her down this dark path. There was no one to blame, not even Vladimir. The monster that he was never was hidden. She'd simply decided she could live with it. But deep down she felt ruined inside. Rotting like a corpse from the inside out. She wanted to die rather than be a part of this any longer. But there was so much blood on her hands.

And then she met Gallic.

Just over a year ago the Irish Inhuman ex-soldier with the gift to find and track other Inhumans seemingly changed Vladimir entire outlook on his operation. He'd become even more secretive, and had invested in risky, untested medical practices she still wasn't informed on in detail.

What she found in Gallic was another lost soul that matched her own. A kind heart, broken by despair and death, forced to use the skills he was best at to survive. Branded a traitor and dishonored, Gallic discovered his gift but had no clue what good it would do him. And then Vladimir offered him the world.

Gallic accepted, lost in the freedom and power, same as she was. But also lived under the very real threat should he ever cross Vladimir he would receive his mothers eyes. And his sisters. He had little choice but to fall in line, all the while losing more and more of himself by the day.

Secret talks led to this kinship. Wine and suffering led to passion. To caring. To wanting... craving... needing to finally, once and for all escape this madness.

And now that Skye had come into the picture, Anastasia was working on the early outline of a daring plan.

"My love," came a sleepy Irish accent. "Please come to bed. We have but a few short hours left."

"Skye is the key."

"HYDRA is deadly!" Gallic declared as wakefulness swept over him. "Vladimir underestimates them."

"No, he does not. And that scares me. He is either mad that he can best them, or has a ace up his sleeve. But either way, If Skye can disappear from and yet operate in the world, she might be the key to us being able to do the same."

Gallic sat up straight, rubbing a the stubble along his jawline. "And what of our families?"

Anastasia saw no course of action that was safe. Her mind-state was to attack the one that offered freedom. "Vladimir and all loyal to him must die first. Then and only then will we be free. And then we will take what little family we have left and start over somewhere with more than enough money. But we need a powerful ally and the means to disappear forever."

"And you believe this Skye will aid us?"

"I believe HYDRA values those nine Inhuman girls far more than the lot of us. We will make a deal. Their lives for our own, contingent on Vladimir and the organization being destroyed."

Gallic rubbing at his eyes as the fear swept over him, as well as the hatred of said fear. More than anything, he needed his existence to change or simply not exist at all. "What would you have me do?"

Anastasia began to detail her plan, knowing this was the beginning of the end one way or another.

 **The End of Chapter 2**

 **Chapter 3: Ward and Daisy face their first deadly test in Russia, and grow even closer from the experience. Anastasia is horrified to learn of the 'Lullaby Protocol'. A two members of S.H.I.E.L.D arrive to assist.**


End file.
